Almost
by thatXoneXchick9999
Summary: Every member of the Fire Nation Royal Family has left their mark, but two members remain shrouded in mystery: Iroh, the firstborn son of Azulon who mysteriously lost his birthright, and Ursa, who disappeared lterally hours before she would have become Fire Lady. This is their tale. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic (I'm exposing my soft underbelly here), telling my own story of Iroh and Ursa. Our beloved Iroh won't appear until later, but I did manage to introduce Ursa to some pretty important people. :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own ATLA

* * *

Fifteen year old Ursa was all but skipping in her excitement. The circus had come to the Capitol! She knew it was childish, getting so excited over a group of "unwashed peasants" and "glorified street performers," as her older brother has so distastefully called them, but Ursa, quite frankly, did not care. Excitement was a rare in thing in the young noblewoman's starched world of etiquette, opulence, and Fire Nation patriotism, and even the slightest deviation from the monotony was enough to delight her. This circus was the first one to come to the Capitol in over a decade, and Ursa was determined not to miss it.

There were some whispers that the Fire Lord and his younger son going to be there, driven by Fire Lady Ilah's weakness for spectacle, but Ursa doubted it. Her occasional glimpses of her ruler had given her the opinion that the cold-looking and fascinatingly pointy man would have no appreciation or patience for something as lighthearted as a circus. As for his son, Ursa did not give a single monkey feather. Ozai looked even less fun than his father, despite her older brother's admiration of his firebending skills.

"Do we really have to go to this?" her older brother Zhang grumbled for what Ursa was sure was the fifth time in as many minutes.

"No one said _you _had to!" she retorted, not even bothering to look back at him.

"Believe me, if it had been up to me, we wouldn't."

"Then, why go?" Ursa asked. She didn't slow her excited pace, but she did spare her older brother a glance this time.

"Because _you _need a chaperone." He said, talking to her as if he was speaking to a small child. Ursa rolled her eyes.

"I can take care of myself, Zhang." She said, exasperated.

"Oh, I don't doubt it." her brother said, "If you were ever attacked, I'm sure you could just talk the poor criminal to death."

"Then why follow me around, Zhang?" Ursa asked again, irritated.

"It isn't proper for a girl of your status to travel alone."

"Then I could have brought a servant. Agni knows one of them would have been more interesting than you."

"It's one thing if you're shopping or some other… girly thing," her brother said, distasteful once more, "but this is a social situation. It is possible that the Fire Nation royal family will be here. What would they think if you showed up alone?"

"That I want to watch the circus?" Ursa guessed dryly.

"No!"

"Then what, O Clever Brother?"

"It's… it's just not proper!" Zhang sputtered. Ursa rolled her eyes again.

"I will always believe that the spirits were playing some kind of joke when they made you the oldest." She said. They turned a corner, and Ursa actually squealed when she saw the huge tent encompassing the circus in the middle of town, cutting off her brother's reply.

"We have to get good seats!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the tent. This time Zhang was the one rolling his eyes, but he allowed his sister to lead him to the tent.

* * *

Ursa gasped delightedly at the firebenders' display. A group of half a dozen men stood in the center of the ring, darting through forms faster than Ursa could have imagined and creating incredible fiery likenesses of dragons, fish, birds, and other animals before sending them flying through the air. It was times like this, when it wasn't all about fighting, just making something spectacular, that she wished she could be a bender. With a squeal, she ducked when a huge dragon made of flame flew over her right where her head had been seconds before. Her brother laughed. She knew it was at her expense, but it was still nice to see her usually reserved brother lighten up a little.

"Not as bad as you thought it would be, is it?" she asked.

"Still a bunch of peasants and street performers." Her brother said coolly, schooling his face back into his nobleman's mask. However, Ursa could see the mirth in his eyes, and she knew he was just teasing her. She was about to retort when the voice of the ringmaster rang out, effectively cutting through the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man boomed charismatically, "I would like to thank you all for your presence at my humble show, and to do so, I have saved the best act for last!"

The audience roared its approval, and, like a true showman, the ringmaster allowed it and even preened a little. As the applause began to die down, the ringmaster opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, another voice rang out from the direction of the opening of the tent:

"All hail Fire Lord Azulon!"

Ursa felt her jaw and her stomach drop at the same instant.

_ The Fire Lord? **Here?!** _

Thankfully, her brother recovered more quickly.

"Get down, you idiot!" he hissed, yanking her into the deepest bow the crowded stands would allow. Ignoring her brother's insult, Ursa snuck a glance at the Fire Lord beneath her lashes. Once she was past the initial feeling of awe and some fear her sovereign inspired in her, she took him in. She watched as he surveyed the crowd, his angular face a mask of disinterest. Raising her head imperceptibly and keeping her gaze indirect, she moved to look behind the Fire Lord. As expected, his wife, the surprisingly cheerful looking Lady Ilah stood directly behind him, also taking in the crowd. Behind her, was their younger son Ozai, looking just as bored as his father. Ursa wrinkled her nose in distaste at the arrogant looking boy. She turned her gaze back to the Fire Lord and saw he was done observing the crowd. He looked down at the ringmaster, prostrate before him.

"You may rise." He said. The ringmaster quickly stood, and the spectators followed suit.

"Fire Lord Azulon, I am deeply honored that you and your family would grace my humble show with your presence." He said earnestly.

"I'm sure." Azulon said dryly. He looked back at his family and tilted his head in the direction of a section of seats. The people in them gasped before quickly clearing out. The Fire Lord's herald led him, the Fire Lady, the prince, their guards, and the rest of their entourage to the now empty stands. They quickly filled the section of stands as Ursa and the rest of the audience watched in silence. Ursa sighed inwardly. She admired the Fire Lord; she truly did, but his skills were in military glory. In situations like these, the impatient looking man stuck out like a sore thumb, and everyone would fall over themselves trying desperately to coax a smile from him. He simply put a damper on things that were supposed to be amusing. The ringmaster's booming voice yanked her from her reverie.

"Once again, ladies and gentlemen!" he bellowed. He looked up at the royal family, "Esteemed royal guests." He looked back at the rest of the audience. "You have honored me with your presence at my show, and to thank you all, I present to you _the _best performer in the history of the world!" The tent went black before a spotlight shone around the ringmaster.

"She was but four when I found her," he began dramatically, "dangling off a waterfall!"

Some of the more sensitive ladies gasped.

"I was certain she was done for," the man boomed, "but still I ran to the waterfall, determined to try and save this innocent child when suddenly, she let go!"

Ursa herself gasped this time.

"I watched in terror, certain I would be witnessing her demise, when she kicked off the side of the cliff next to the waterfall and began _running _across it like a spider!"

Still more gasps of amazement.

"This child, barely more than an infant, ran across sheer cliffs and jumped and flipped and contorted herself into the most unnatural positions to get herself away from the waterfall and back on solid ground! It was magnificent! I had never seen such raw talent, and for the past thirteen years I have watched her bloom into the most incredible acrobat, dancer, and contortionist in the world! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Ming Lee!" the ringmaster bellowed, wildly gesturing towards the top of the tent, the spotlight following his gesture. Ursa looked up and gasped in horror when she saw someone plunge headfirst through the hole in the top of the tent and streaked down to the unforgiving ground below.

"She's going to die!" Ursa heard a noblewoman screech. Ursa was about to scream as well when, not five feet above the crowd, a trapeze seemed to swing from nowhere, and the acrobat caught the bar, landing in a handstand on the trapeze and staying in that pose as it swung over the crowd. The crowd exploded into applause, but the acrobat wasn't done yet. Before the trapeze had swung completely out, it was suddenly yanked up, high above the roaring crowd, the acrobat still holding her handstand. When she was less than ten feet from the top of the tent, another trapeze swung out to meet her. Catching it in the crook where the front of her foot met her leg, she let go of the first trapeze before hooking her foot on the bar in the same fashion as the second. She now dangled upside down in a split dozens of feet above the crowd.

"She's amazing!" she heard her brother say, but she didn't acknowledge him. She shrieked when Ming Lee suddenly brought her legs together, and she was suddenly plunging headfirst towards the ground again. She spun in midair, flipped, and landed on one foot on a high wire that Ursa swore hadn't been there when the performance started. She looked up from the wire to the acrobat and smiled herself at the wide grin the girl wore. She looked so happy.

On the performance went, with Ming Lee shocking and bringing awe to the spectators with her death defying stunts and disappearing and reappearing equipment. Ever since Ursa had gotten a look at her smile, she couldn't tear herself away. She just could not get over how _free _and happy the acrobat looked as the performance wore on, her round face flushed in her determination and exhilaration. _I wish I could do something like that, _Ursa thought wistfully. Her amazing stunts, her world travels with the circus. For Ursa, it seemed _that _was the life. At last, with a dramatic flourish, the acrobat kicked and flipped her way to the ground, where the ringmaster stood waiting to meet her. He took her hand and raised it over his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you once again for attending my circus, and I hope to see you all again!" the man boomed, and together, he and Ming Lee bowed. Ursa joined the crowd as it stood to give Ming Lee a standing ovation. Ursa thought she was loud, but she was surprised to see her brother cheering even more raucously out of the corner of her eye. She stopped cheering, looked at him, and then burst out laughing.

"What?" Zhang demanded, stopping his cheering when he noticed his sister's actions.

"You just look so ridiculous!" Ursa chortled, "Oh So Stoic Lord Zhang!" Zhang rolled his eyes, and Ursa could see his nobleman mask returning.

"Let's go." he said. Ursa shrugged and allowed herself to be led by her older brother. Her mind drifted to the acrobat, Ming Lee, and her performance. It had been truly astonishing, and, once again, Ursa wished she could do that. Absentmindedly, she noticed that her brother was not leading her to the opening of the tent.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"We have to greet the Fire Lord." Zhang replied as if it was obvious.

"What?! Why?" she asked, stopping.

"He's our ruler. We're nobility. It's only good manners, Ursa." her brother said.

"And I suppose I'm supposed to talk to Ozai?" she asked, rolling her eyes at her brother's thinly veiled matchmaking attempt.

"_Prince_ Ozai, Ursa." her brother reminded her sweetly, an opportunistic gleam in his eye. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he dropped the act. "Just two minutes, Ursa. You know Mother would never forgive us if she found out you were in the same room as one of the princes of the Fire Nation, and you didn't talk to him."

Ursa grimaced at the thought.

"Fine." she said irritably. She started walking again, her brother at her side. They were not the only ones intent on greeting the Fire Lord. He stood at the bottom of the stands he'd vacated, looking bored as he exchanged a few words with some noble or another before dismissing them and moving on to the next one in line. The Fire Lady stood to his right and spoke much more sincerely to the nobles, appearing to take a genuine interest in what they were saying. Ursa smiled. Fire Lady Ilah truly was noble. She turned to look toward Azulon's left and bit back an exasperated sigh. There was Ozai, and he didn't even bother speaking with the nobles. She did see one woman a little older than her trying to catch his eye, but he didn't spare her a glance. Finally, it was her and Zhang's turn with the Fire Lord.

"Fire Lord Azulon." her brother said, bowing respectfully. She followed suit. "I am Zhang of the Yu family. This is my younger sister Ursa." She lowered her head demurely when the Fire Lord looked her over before looking back at her brother.

Ursa knew she had been dismissed, and she turned to walk away. However, she caught a glimpse of her brother out of the corner of her eye, looking very meaningfully between her and Ozai. She fought back the urge to roll her eyes before looking back at the prince. As discreetly as possible, she observed him. He was handsome; there was no denying that. He had inherited the royal family's gleaming golden eyes and luxurious obsidian hair, which stopped just past his shoulders and was half up in a traditional top knot. His face was somewhat angular like his father's, but at seventeen, he was still just a boy, so the harsh planes that would be present when he was older were still appealingly rounded now. He was also tall and obviously well muscled beneath the armor he wore. She felt herself blush slightly and chastised herself for even slightly thinking about what was _under _his armor.

Suddenly, she felt very unprepared. She'd received etiquette classes like anyone else, but she was still attending the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, and she was never allowed to go anywhere without a chaperone. With these thoughts came the sudden realization that the only male she'd ever been relatively close to was her brother. The glimpses she'd gotten of Ozai and other boys were just that, glimpses. She had no idea what to do when it came to actually speaking to a boy. It floored her, and her mind went blank.

"You know, it is rude to stare." Ozai said curtly. Flustered, Ursa bowed, feeling a blush stain her cheeks.

"I am sorry, my lord." she mumbled, straightening back up. He glanced down at her. Was that amusement she saw in his golden eyes?

"I believe it is also considered proper to introduce yourself." he said, his curt tone unchanged.

"I am Lady Ursa of the Yu family." she said, keeping her eyes down, "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure is mine." she heard him say, and she glanced up at him. She was surprised to see his lips quirk into a half smile. She smiled slightly as well before turning back to her brother. Taking the hint, _for once _Ursa thought, he looped her arm around his and led her away from the royal family.

"I think Ozai liked you." her brother said too casually. She snuck a glance at him, and she could tell that he was nearly bursting with delight at this new development.

"Yeah." she said distractedly. Her brother stopped, forcing her to as well.

"What? No complaints about him being 'too serious'?" he asked, using air quotes around the first two words.

"No." she said, looking away from him.

"Spirits above, you like him! Wittle Ursa has a crush." he cooed.

"What?!" Ursa exclaimed, pulling away from him, "I do not!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Shut up!" She walked away from her brother and saw the acrobat still standing next to the ringmaster and watching as people left. Most of her thoughts about Ozai disappeared.

* * *

Ming Lee observed the nobles with mild interest. Most of them did not speak to her, but many did sneak glances, surprised at how young she was. _Seventeen and already the best acrobat in the world, _she thought smugly. This did not bother her though. Nobles were the same everywhere, stuffy and self-important, and the rare conversations she'd had with the ones in the Earth Kingdom had bored her to tears. She did like seeing their outrageous outfits though. One credit she could give to the Fire Nation was that they were much more daring in their wardrobe choices than the nobles she'd seen when the circus had toured the Earth Kingdom. She was surprised when a noblewoman, the only one who'd made the Fire Prince smile no less, broke away from her escort and came up to her. The escort, who Ming Lee decided was the girl's brother based on their resemblance, looked nervous.

"Your performance was amazing!" she exclaimed, "I wish I had your skill." Ming Lee smiled.

"Thank you."

"I truly envy you." the noblewoman said sincerely. Ming Lee looked down at her, surprised.

"It is an honor to be so admired by one such as yourself, my lady." she said, surprised at how flustered she felt. No one had ever said something like that before. She heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and looked up to see the girl's brother tapping his foot impatiently. The noblewoman rolled her eyes.

"I'm afraid I must be going. My name is Ursa, by the way. It was lovely to meet you."

"And you as well." Ming Lee replied. With that, the noblewoman, Ursa, turned and went back to her brother. Puzzled, Ming Lee watched the girl go. She was pretty, very obviously rich, and she had apparently gained the favor of the Fire Lord's son. She noted the glares that other young noblewoman were sending toward her before catching sight of the Fire prince. His handsome face looked impassive, but she could see his gaze sliding over Lady Ursa's body in a way that could be described as hungrily. Or predatory. Ming Lee shuddered at the boy's creepy look, and Lady Ursa's words echoed in her mind. _I truly envy you. _

"I believe you just might." the acrobat said quietly.

* * *

There you have it. First chapter of my first story. I hoped everyone liked it, and I would appreciate reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you, ArrayePL for your lone review. :) It was much appreciated.

DISCLAIMER: Still do not own.

* * *

_Two Years Later_

"So when's the big day?"

Ursa looked up to see Ming Lee smiling at her over her tea.

"What big day?" she asked, feigning innocence. She really didn't want to talk about it.

"Oh yes, you plan so many lavish parties, it must be so hard to keep track." Ming Lee teased, "The ball! The thing that your brother says is, and I quote 'the single most important event of your life besides your wedding day.'" She used a stuffy, upper-class accent to imitate her brother, and Ursa couldn't help but smile.

"You have no idea how spot-on that is." Ursa said, her smile widening into a grin.

"Believe me, I know." Ming Lee said, rolling her eyes.

Puzzled, Ursa cocked her head.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She couldn't help but feel relieved that the conversation was heading in another direction.

"_Your_ brother has been pestering me for months now." Ming Lee complained. She placed her hand on top of Ursa's. "I truly am grateful that you guys agreed to be my patrons for my own show, but does it really give your brother license to stalk me?"

"He's been _stalking_ you?!" Ursa exclaimed, eyes wide.

"He might as well be. He comes to literally _every_ show I put on. He even comes to my rehearsals sometimes, and he stays the _whole_ time, even they go late into the night, and he just _watches_ me. It's creepy."

_ So, _that's_ where he's been disappearing to_! Ursa thought.

"That's weird even for him." she said out loud.

"Why?" Ming Lee asked.

"Because Zhang has about as much patience as a hog-monkey. If he wants something, he'll just come out and ask for it. Or demand it depending on the mood he's in." she amended with a shrug, "It is really weird for him to just sit around and watch."

"Great." Ming Lee grumbled, "The man's probably got one foot in the crazy door and the other on an ash banana peel."

Ursa laughed at her friend's colorful imagery.

"He went through the crazy door a long time ago, Ming." she replied.

"Well, it's good to know that I won't be the target of some kind of rampage." Ming Lee retorted.

"I didn't say that."

"Spirits above!" Ming Lee dropped her head onto the table with an audible thud.

"He probably just wants to make sure you're a profitable investment." Ursa said, shrugging again.

"Then why can't he figure it out with the monthly statement I send to your house like your father does?"

"Because Zhang is an idiot."

"I am aware of this." Ming Lee replied, her voice muffled by the table. She looked up at Ursa. "Good job deflecting my question by the way." Ursa choked on the tea she was sipping on. For a few seconds, she coughed and sputtered, and Ming Lee clapped her on the back until she calmed down.

"So, when is the ball?" Ming Lee asked sweetly.

Ursa narrowed her eyes at her.

"Hmm...?" Ming Lee prodded.

"Three weeks." Ursa grumbled.

"Why do you sound so unhappy about it? Whenever this ball is mentioned, every noblewoman I've ever seen can't stop gushing about theirs. It was their _seventeenth_ birthdays. They were officially women and old enough to get married." she said dreamily. She dropped the act. "It's pretty sickening actually."

Ursa opened her mouth to speak, but Ming Lee just kept going.

"You used to be the same way, but now every time someone mentions it, you look like a rapid tigerdillo."

"I do not!" Ursa exclaimed, bristling.

"Do so. Why aren't you all smiley anymore?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

_It would just end badly._

"That bad?"

"It's a nightmare!" Ursa finally exploded, "My mother keeps changing everything! The food, the flowers, my dress, _everything!_ It's _my_ party! I should be the one to plan it, but she just undermines me every step of the way! 'Ursa dear, don't you think your dress would be better in this color?' 'What if we served this?' And I'm lucky if she even bothers to ask me about it! You know what she did last week? She tried to import panda-lilies from the Earth Kingdom! _Panda-lilies_, also known as the single most inconvenient flower on the face of the planet! They only grow on the tops of Earth Kingdom volcanoes, they're as ugly as the wrong side of a komodo-rhino, and they die in like four hours! I'm just lucky my maid told me about it or those irritating flowers would be half-way to the Fire Nation by now!"

Ursa knew it was a bad idea to start talking about her "coming out" as her mother called it. She'd known deep down that if she started, she wouldn't be able to stop. Now Ming Lee was about to witness the release of over two months of bottled stress.

* * *

Ming Lee thought her friend would calm down after she got the panda-lily incident off her chest, but she was wrong. Very wrong.

She finished her first cup of tea and ordered a second.

When she finished that cup, she ordered a third and a strawberry fruit tart.

Grateful they were sitting at one of the tables outside of the tea shop, she glanced at a young street performer executing some surprisingly complex gymnastics. She smirked when she caught sight of another child darting in and out of the ranks of the crowd. There were definitely going to be more than a few empty pockets among that group.

She tuned back in.

"And then she says 'That neckline is far too high, dear. How will we get you a husband if we don't show off the wares a little?' and then she winked at me. _Winked _at me! And then she launches off into this _horrible_ story about how at her birthday ball she-"

She sighed inwardly and continued to nibble on her fruit tart. What she really wanted was a thick cut of moose-lion steak, but these fancy places Ursa took her to only served wimpy food. She finished the fruit tart and asked for another in a different flavor.

She started her fourth cup of tea.

* * *

When Ursa finally finished her rant, she let out a huge breath and looked at her friend. There were three saucers, each stained with a different flavor of fruit tart filling, and a large teapot on the table in front of her.

"Feel better?" Ming Lee asked nonchalantly, pouring herself another cup of tea.

"Did you listen to a word I said?" Ursa asked, narrowing her eyes. Even though she _did_ in fact feel better, she was irritated that her friend had ignored her.

Ming Lee shrugged.

"Bits and pieces. The part about your mother throwing a tantrum and flinging lemon custard at your father was pretty funny."

"Glad someone thinks so." Ursa grumbled. She picked up the teapot to pour a cup for herself and found it empty. "How many cups of tea have you had anyway?"

Ming Lee looked thoughtful.

"I stopped counting at six. That was when the server just sat the teapot on the table. Also, your mother's tantrum sounds _hilarious_. Isn't she usually all Miss Manners and Appearances?"

"Yes! She's usually the only one in my family I can talk to and expect at least a sort of normal reaction, but now she's acting like my party will decide the outcome of the war or something!" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"From the few times I've seen your mom, she seems like a really practical, rational kind of lady. Why is she making such a big deal about this?"

"Something along the lines of I'll be dishonoring the whole damn family if this isn't just _perfect_." Ursa said exasperatedly. She saw Ming Lee's eyes widen slightly at her use of the expletive, and she felt kind of pleased with herself. She _never_ swore.

"You've gone to these kinds of noble parties before. It doesn't explain why she's reacting this way." Ming Lee observed.

"I don't know either." Ursa said more quickly than she'd intended. Her heart sank when she saw Ming Lee's eyes narrow slightly.

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you'll be available for marriage after the ball." she said slowly. Ursa swallowed.

"Maybe." she said weakly.

"Who knows? You might meet your future husband at this party."

"Maybe."

"You're hiding something, Ursa." Ming Lee said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Ursa exclaimed with a weak laugh, "No, I'm not!"

"I've known you long enough to tell when you're lying."

"I'm not lying!"

"Look, you can either tell me now, or I'll pry it out of you later."

Ursa grimaced. She didn't doubt it. She looked down.

"Prince Ozai might be coming." she mumbled to the table cloth.

"What was that?" her friend asked, her face hardening. Ursa cleared her throat. _Here it comes,_ she thought.

"Prince... Ozai... might be coming." she said, trying not to cringe.

Ming Lee exploded.

"What?!" she demanded, and Ursa flinched, "That worthless rat-viper is coming to your party?!"

"I said _might_." Ursa pointed out, sinking into her chair when she noticed people were staring.

"Which is probably a yes!" Ming Lee exclaimed, "Spirits above!"

Ursa sunk even deeper into her chair.

"_Please _tell me you weren't the one who invited him! Please at least tell me it was your mother who was the stupid one here!"

"Erm..."

"Ursa!"

"What was I supposed to do?!" Ursa demanded, sitting up in her chair, "He's the prince of the Fire Nation! I can't just snub him!"

"Yes, you can! You would be perfectly right in snubbing a guy like that! Agni!"

Ursa sunk back into her chair again. This was not the first time her friend had complained about Ozai, and while she ranted, Ursa's thoughts drifted. It had been nearly two years since she met the prince. Since that day, he'd made it a point to call on her at her family's home every other month. Technically, she'd still been too young to be courted, but that hadn't stopped him from coming. To improve their standing in court and because "one does not argue with a prince," her parents had allowed it. Ming Lee however, hated it.

Ursa tuned back in.

"How could you be so stupid?!" Ming Lee demanded hotly, "He's rude! He's arrogant! He's got a fuse shorter than mine, and believe me, _that _is saying something, and-"

Ursa drifted off again.

Ozai really wasn't that bad. He was very serious and ambitious, like she herself had said years ago, but it wasn't terrible. He'd also been a complete gentleman whenever he came over. The only time that sort of pushed the bounds of propriety was the single time they'd sparred. Ursa's face heated at the memory. Ozai shirtless, on top of her, his hard, muscular body pressed into hers. Golden eyes gleaming into her own. His mouth, a hair's breadth from hers...

"Ursa!"

She jumped.

"What?!" she exclaimed guiltily.

"Did you hear _anything_ I just said?"

"Feel better?" Ursa retorted acidly. Something about being pulled away from that particular memory so soon rankled her.

"You tuned me out?!"

"You did it to me not even five minutes ago!"

"Because that was just something you needed to get off your chest! You didn't care if I listened or not!"

"And your rant isn't the same thing?!"

Ming Lee opened her mouth to speak, and that was when she finally noticed that people were openly gawking at them. She closed it again and took a deep, hissing breath through her nose and out her mouth. Standing up, she reached into her bag, took out some coins, and slapped them onto the table.

"Let's go for a walk." she said through gritted teeth.

"Not in the mood for public shaming?" Ursa asked, her teeth gritted as well.

"I'm a performer. I have no problem with public anything. You're the only one here with a reputation to consider, _my lady_."

Ursa glared up at her.

Ming Lee glared right back.

Ursa looked away first.

"Fine." she grumbled. She reached into her bag and slapped the money for own tea on the table. She stood up and walked with Ming Lee away from the tea shop.

For a time, they simply walked, occasionally glaring at each other, but not speaking. Eventually, Ursa noticed they were heading toward Yan Xiu, the poorest part of the city. She looked at Ming Lee and could tell that she wasn't even thinking about where she was walking. She was just instinctively heading toward where she was more comfortable. Ursa spitefully thought about insulting Ming Lee's poor background, but she decided against it. She just looked down to make sure she wasn't wearing anything particularly valuable before allowing Ming Lee to lead her into Yan Xiu. They walked in silence for a bit longer before it got to Ursa. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ming Lee beat her to it.

"It's not the same thing, you know."

"What are you talking about, Ming?" Ursa asked, exasperated.

"My 'rant,' as you call it. It's not just something I need to get something off my chest. It's something you need to hear."

Ursa rolled her eyes.

"You still haven't given me a good reason to hate him."

"He _set_ you on fire!" Ming Lee exclaimed, looking at her like she was an idiot.

"We were sparring, and it was an accident! He said he was sorry." Ursa reminded her. Unbidden, the memory of Ozai tackling her and patting the flames out of her leggings came to her mind. That was how she got into the precarious position she remembered earlier.

"You don't have accidents like that when you've been firebending for fifteen years!" Ming Lee exclaimed, jarring her from her thoughts.

"So what, he did it on purpose?!"

"Wouldn't put it past him!"

"What could he _possibly_ have to gain by doing that?!" Ursa demanded.

Ming Lee gave her a look.

"You really need me to answer that?"

"Apparently I do!"

Ming Lee rolled her eyes.

"Think about how that situation ended. Or almost ended." she amended.

"What are you talking about?" Ursa asked derisively.

"I know the servant who caught you two, Ursa! She said that if she'd left you alone for five more minutes, you'd probably be carrying a royal bastard right now!"

Ursa stopped dead in her tracks.

She'd been two years old when she'd started her etiquette classes. That was when she'd first started talking and when she could potentially embarrass the family. It was those deeply ingrained lessons, all of them suddenly flying at her at once, that kept her from shrieking like a savage in her rage. How _dare_ that servant?! How dare Ming Lee?! How dare everyone?! What she did with Ozai was _her_ business, not theirs! She had been _completely_ in control of that situation, and yet she was being treated like a foolish child!

By this time, Ming Lee had stopped as well, and she was watching her. Ursa stood stiff and straight, her fists clenched at her sides, and her breathing harsh and labored, whistling through her nose. She was fighting violently to keep her temper under control, and she was pleased to see her friend looked somewhat nervous.

"Ursa?" she asked tentatively.

"Do you really have so little faith in me?" Ursa asked coldly, still fighting the urge to break something, "Do you really think I would risk everything I care about just to get Ozai between my legs?"

"It's not you I don't trust, Ursa." Ming Lee said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "It's Ozai."

Ursa shrugged off Ming Lee's hand.

"It doesn't seem like it." she retorted. She turned and started to walk away.

"Ursa!"

Ursa ignored her.

"Ursa, would you please just listen to me?"

Ursa whirled and almost collided with the acrobat.

"To what? Your insults?" Ursa demanded when they'd righted themselves, "No, thank you!"

"I'm just worried about you." Ming Lee said, touching her arm.

"Why?"

"Because Ozai looks at you like you're a koala-lamb ready for slaughter when he thinks you can't see him!"

Ursa snorted and shook her head. What nonsense!

"I'm serious!" Ming Lee insisted, "I've seen that look before, and it _never _ends well for the girl involved. You've got a lot to lose, Ursa. He doesn't."

"Whatever happened to 'chastity is antiquated and stupid'?" Ursa asked sarcastically.

"It is if you're with someone you love, but you're only waiting because you don't want people to think badly of you! But if it's because you're not ready, then wait away!" Ming Lee retorted. It was then the implications of Ursa's words sunk in. Her expression changed from... self-righteous, Ursa decided, to almost pleading.

"_Please_ tell me you're not really thinking of doing that with him!" Ming Lee begged.

"I've only seen him once without my brother or one of my parents watching. It's not exactly the most romantic setting."

Ming Lee looked relieved.

"And even if I was... considering it, that's my choice, isn't it?" Ursa finished, and she was perversely pleased to see her friend stiffen again. The acrobat shook her head.

"It is your choice, but don't make the wrong one, because a guy is pressuring you."

"He hasn't pressured-" Ursa started, but Ming Lee held up a finger to silence her.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." she finished quietly.

Ursa opened her mouth and then closed it again. She sighed. She knew her friend cared, even if she had offended her.

"You really don't have anything to worry about, Ming." she finally said.

"I'll quit worrying when you stop acting all starry-eyed whenever he's around." Ming Lee said, giving her a small smile.

"I do _not_ act all starry-eyed!" Ursa scoffed.

"Keep telling yourself that." was her friend's reply. She sounded so much like Zhang that Ursa wanted to gag.

"Can we please talk about something else?" she complained, "All this arguing about my birthday and Ozai is making my head hurt."

"M'kay." Ming Lee said with a shrug. They started walking again. When they turned a corner, Ursa jumped at the sound of a window shattering. She turned and saw that a man had been flung bodily through the window of a tavern. A second man, fists flailing, jumped through the hole and landed on the first.

"That would have been a good place for our argument." Ming Lee observed, and Ursa laughed.

"That's probably how it would have ended if we had stayed at that tea house." she joked.

"That's _exactly_ how it would have ended."

Ursa laughed.

"Alright," Ming Lee said casually, "You don't want to talk about the ball. _I _don't want to talk about Ozai. Can you think of anything else?"

Ursa looked at her friend. She recognized that tone. Ming Lee had something up her sleeve.

"No." she replied, deciding to take the bait, "What did you have in mind?"

"The Fire Days festival is next week."

"So?"

"So, we're going to celebrate it _my _way this year." Ming Lee said mischievously.

Ursa stopped.

"What do you mean _your _way?" she asked suspiciously. Ming Lee wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Just imagine it, Ursa!" she said, gesturing dramatically, "Cheap liquor! Shoddily made fireworks! Food that amounts to a heart attack in a bag! And let's not forget dancing that would get you arrested where you live! Yan Xiu on Fire Days!"

"Yan Xiu?" Ursa asked, eyes wide, "We're celebrating Fire Days here?"

"Why not?" Ming Lee asked, "You're an adult now, or at least you will be in three weeks. Let's do it!"

"I don't know..." Ursa said slowly. It was one thing to come to Yan Xiu in broad daylight. It was quite another to come at night. Thieves, thugs, and... _worse, _she thought with a shudder, could be everywhere. Ming Lee seemed to read her mind.

"Oh, come on! Surely, Miss 'Most Likely to Stab Someone' isn't scared of a place like this at night?" she teased, lightly smacking Ursa's arm.

"Most likely to _stab_ someone?" Ursa asked with a grimace.

"Or whatever it is you do with those pointy things you learned to play with at the Royal Fire Academy." Ming Lee said dismissively.

"Pointy things?!" Ursa exclaimed, offended.

"Ursa!" Ming Lee whined before she could really get started about the finer points of what she'd learned at the Academy, "I have gone with you to those _things _you nobles call parties for the last two Festivals!"

"What do you mean _things_?"

Ming Lee raised an eyebrow.

"I feel like I should say I hate to tell you this, but I don't." she said simply, "The time my old circus tried to have a snail-sloth show was more exciting than the 'parties' you nobles throw."

"They are _not _that-!"

"We're partying here." Ming Lee interrupted, "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

"I'm still not sure..." Ursa started.

Ming Lee stepped up so close to her face that their noses touched. Her wide eyes stared intently into Ursa's. Intimidated, Ursa tried to take a step back, but Ming Lee grabbed her shoulders and held her in place.

"You can either walk here with me, or you can be bound, gagged, stuffed into a sack, and carried here by _circus people_. Your choice." Ming Lee explained calmly. She let go of her shoulders, and Ursa quickly backed up.

"Also," Ming Lee added in a sing-song voice, "you won't have to deal with your mother that night."

The lemon custard incident suddenly popped into Ursa's head.

"Yeah, we're definitely going." she said firmly.

* * *

Second chapter down! So far, the story's more dialogue-y than I expected it to be, but that's how it turned out, and I _promise_ I'll try to put some action into the next chapter. Anybody else is looking forward to Fire Days in Yan Xiu? ;)

Once again, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much, ArrayePL for your review of my last chapter. As for Ming Lee's family, who knows? ;)

DISCLAIMER: I own the plot of _Almost_, but I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Unfortunately.

On to the story! (We get to meet someone special! :D)

_Somewhere in the Central Earth Kingdom_

_BOOM!_ Sudden explosions of rock landing violently on rock jarred the twenty-eight year old Crown Prince from his sleep. Before he was even fully awake, he was out of his tent shouting orders and attempting to pull on some of his armor. Around him, the large clearing where his men had set up camp was being torn apart.

"Lieutenant Iroh!" one of his men yelled. Before he could finish what he was saying, Iroh blasted away chunk of earth that had torn itself out of the ground and hurled itself toward the soldier.

"Earth Kingdom ambush?" Iroh guessed dryly.

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" the young soldier exclaimed, admiration plain on his face. Before he could reply, Iroh saw another chunk of rock erupt from the ground, and this time it headed towards him. He ducked and rolled, shooting a quick succession of fireballs in several directions, hoping to at least wing someone.

He dimly registered from the sky that it was just past midnight, still hours before dawn, hours before his men could have any kind of advantage. He cursed at the intelligence of this group's leader, knowing where their weak points were, before smiling grimly._ Firebenders aren't the only ones with weaknesses_, he thought, a plan forming in his head.

"Take to the trees, high as you can!" Iroh shouted. His smile widened when he didn't even get a funny look from the men in his regiment. They just proceeded to jump and swing into the trees surrounding the clearing as he used firebending to put out their campfires. Most of his men had served under him long enough to have been given stranger orders, and by this time, they didn't even think of questioning them.

"Don't attack!" Iroh yelled, climbing after them, "Spread out! Stay light on your feet!" He knew that earthbenders relied on their connection to the ground to use their element, and he suspected that they might even be able to feel his men moving on it. If they stayed in the trees and stepped lightly, Iroh reasoned, then maybe they could make the element of surprise favor them.

The boulders that had been flying with deadly accuracy were now shooting wild. Someone had heard Iroh give the order to take to the trees, and Iroh heard that person relay the information to his companions. Jumping lightly from limb to limb, occasionally dodging a boulder someone had shot randomly, Iroh followed the voice until he was standing about ten feet above the man who'd overheard his order, a particularly large earthbender.

Stealthily, he climbed lower, taking care to look around him to see if there were any other earthbenders nearby. He saw one approximately ten feet to the left and another the same distance to the right. When he was crouching five feet above the earthbender, he grasped the limb underneath his feet. Moving his feet, he swung under the limb, and his pointed Fire Nation Army boots connected with the earthbender's head with a dull _crack!_

Iroh grimaced at the noise. Contrary to everything the trainers of his youth had taught, he still hadn't gotten used to those kinds of noises. He continued to swing on the limb until he was back in his original crouch. He quickly jumped up from limb to limb until he was almost at the top of the tree. He jumped into the tree next to him and nearly collided with the young soldier he'd saved earlier. Righting himself, he grabbed the other man's sleeve to keep him from falling.

"Lieu-!" he started, but Iroh clapped a hand over his mouth.

"There is an Earth Kingdom soldier approximately ten feet in that direction." he whispered, pointing to the left of the man he'd incapacitated, "Take him out, and keep your eyes open for others. I believe they are in a circle around the clearing. Tell any of our men you meet to do the same. Stay in the trees."

The soldier nodded, and Iroh took his hand off his mouth. He pointed to the right.

"There's another one this way. I'll take care of him." he whispered.

The soldier nodded again and headed to the left. Iroh swiftly went right and quickly dispensed with this soldier the same way he'd done the first. He met another soldier in the trees and told him the same thing he'd told the first: _stay in the trees, go around the clearing, take out any earthbending soldiers you come across._

He took out a few more earthbenders, but more often than not, he would find them unconscious or dead already. He was pleased to know that his order had rapidly spread through the ranks of his men. He jumped from tree to tree, staying high unless he was checking the ground for an earthbender. He would occasionally meet one of his men and repeat the order in case they hadn't gotten it. When he checked the ground for what was perhaps the twentieth time, he found the first soldier he'd taken out. He jumped back up into the trees and met the younger soldier he'd already saved twice.

"It appears we've gotten all of them, Lieutenant." the young man reported.

"Tell the men to fan out and look for a camp." Iroh replied in a whisper, "This was about the usual size for a regiment of earthbenders, but I want to be sure there are no more nearby. Relay the order to every one of ours you meet, and let them know I expect them back at camp by dawn, whether they find more earthbenders or not. I will not have some idiot trying to take on an entire Earth Kingdom battalion alone."

"Yes, sir." The young man turned and went back in the direction he'd come. Iroh again went to the right, making another circuit around the clearing to spread the word and make sure they hadn't missed an earthbender. Once he'd finished, he looked up at the sky and started. Based on the position of the moon, dawn was only an hour away, two at the most. Had their battle really taken the entire night? He shrugged and dropped out of the tree. He knew it would pointless to join the search himself at this point, so he went back to camp.

By the time the first of his men began returning to camp, Iroh had almost finished cleaning up. Any wounded he'd found (thankfully there had only been two), had been taken care of first and to the best of his ability. Scattered supplies had been gathered up and placed in orderly piles, and he'd already started breakfast.

"Lieutenant Iroh." the man said, giving him a salute.

Iroh saluted back.

"Anything to report?" he asked.

"I didn't find any other Earth Kingdom soldiers." the man, Iroh was pretty sure his name was Shu, replied.

"Good. Have some breakfast." Iroh gestured to the pot he had hanging over a large fire and the bowls stacked next to it. He smiled at the almost adoring look the man gave to the food.

Iroh repeated the exchange with several soldiers until about an hour after the sun had cleared the horizon. It looked like all of his men had returned, but he called roll anyway to be certain. Once he was satisfied that all of his men were back, he got himself some breakfast and sat down to eat. He was pleased to observe that the two men he'd found near camp appeared to be their only casualties, and the rest of his men had already begun to laugh and joke. Iroh listened to them with interest.

"Two newlyweds are in their room for their wedding night." one of his men started, "The husband decides that it would be a good idea to start off the marriage by letting his wife know exactly she stands, so he takes off his pants and throws them at her. 'Put those on.' he says. 'I can't wear your trousers!' she replies, and he says 'And don't you forget it! _I'm _going to be the one who wears the pants in this family!'"

Several of the men snickered at that, and Iroh smirked. The man continued his joke.

"It's then that the bride takes off her panties and throws them at her husband. 'Try those on!' she snaps. 'I can't get into your panties!' he yells, and she then says 'And you never will with that attitude!'"

The men, Iroh included, burst into raucous laughter, and his reaction made the others laugh even harder. He let them laugh for a few minutes before he held up a hand to speak. The men settled down.

"I know that all of you are tired and you would like to sleep, but we need to march on." he said.

He allowed the men to have their groan, and then he held his hand up again.

"We're less than half a day's march from one of the colonies." Iroh explained, "When we get there, I'll report this, and you can all sleep the rest of the day if you want to. We'll be staying a while."

"Earth Kingdom whores, boys!" someone in the back yelled, and the men erupted into rowdy cheers.

"Whatever gets you moving." Iroh sighed, shaking his head.

With that, the men got up and began taking apart the campsite.

"How many casualties?" Major Jung asked, paging through the report Iroh had written.

"Two, sir." Iroh replied.

"Any fatalities?"

"None."

The superior officer looked over his eyeglasses at Iroh.

"Your men were ambushed by a regiment of earthbenders, and you only had two casualties, _none _of them fatal?"

Iroh fought the urge to to fidget under the man's discerning gaze. _Does he think I'm making it up? _he wondered.

"Yes, sir." he said out loud.

"By fighting from the _trees_?"

"Yes, sir."

Major Jung smiled.

"Impressive." he said, and Iroh's posture sagged slightly in relief. The major continued.

"And this has just been the latest of many impressive battles in your military career. It is very evident that you have more creativity and intelligence in your little finger than a lot of _generals_ have in their entire bodies."

"Thank you, sir!" Iroh exclaimed, shocked and flattered.

"In light of your achievements," Major Jung said, grinning back at him, "I believe a promotion is in order."

Iroh felt his stomach drop.

"A... a promotion?!" he asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"Congratulations, _Captain_ Iroh."

"Thank you!" Iroh exclaimed again, "It's an honor, sir!"

"You deserve it." Major Jung replied. He stood up and offered his hand. Iroh shook it eagerly.

"Thank you, again, sir." he said sincerely.

"For the last time, you deserve it!" Major Jung exclaimed, "You're welcome."

Iroh resisted the urge to thank him again.

"As I'm sure you remember from your last promotion," Major Jung continued, "Fire Nation officers receive a gift when they get promoted. Any requests?"

Iroh remembered something he'd wanted for several years now and took a breath.

"Actually, sir, I do. I just hope it is not too much to ask."

"You'd have to make the request first."

Iroh smiled slightly.

"Actually, Major Jung, I would like to return to the Fire Nation for the summer."

Jung was silent, and Iroh quickly explained.

"My son's birthday is in the summer. I have not seen him in nearly a year."

"The Fire Lord's as well, am I right?" Jung asked.

Iroh smiled slightly.

"Among others." he admitted.

"Others?"

"My father's, my brother's, my own, and my son's. And there is also my wedding anniversary." Iroh explained.

Jung raised an eyebrow.

"Is that all?" he asked.

Iroh reached up to rub the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.

"It would be nice to be home long enough to celebrate more than one, sir."

Major Jung smiled.

"Enjoy your summer, Captain."

_One Week Later_

Iroh stood at the bow of the Fire Navy ship, his excitement growing as he watched the shoreline of the Fire Nation grow larger and larger. It had been nearly a year since he'd last been home, and then he had only been there for a week. This time, it was going to be for three months! He grinned. Three months with his wife and son. He hadn't been able to get on a ship fast enough back in the Earth Kingdom. He grinned again and went below deck to get his things.

After what felt like hours, they finally made it to the docks. Iroh was already standing where the gangplank would be placed, his things on the ground next to him. He saw some of the older men chuckling at his eagerness, but he ignored it. As soon as the gangplank was lowered, he left the ship as fast as possible without making a fool of himself, leaving his luggage behind. _I have servants here. _Iroh thought, _Let them take care of it. _He looked around, straining for a glimpse of his little boy or his wife. Where were they? He'd sent his wife a message as soon as he'd been told he could come home, using the fastesthawk he could find.

"DAD!" a boy's voice yelled, jarring him from his worries. He turned just in time to be almost knocked over by an excited eight year old.

"Lu Ten!" he exclaimed, catching the boy and hugging him fiercely.

"I missed you so much." his son whispered, and Iroh swore he could feel his heart expanding in his chest.

"I missed you too, my son." he replied, hugging him closer.

"What about me?" another wonderfully familiar voice asked. Iroh looked up and grinned at the sight of his wife.

"Mayumi!" he exclaimed happily. He tried to separate himself from Lu Ten and laughed when he couldn't pry the boy off. He settled for shifting so that he was carrying Lu Ten on his hip and opened his free arm for his wife. Laughing, Mayumi stepped into his embrace, and Iroh kissed her passionately. He grinned against her mouth at her fervent reaction.

"Ugh!" Iroh heard Lu Ten groan, and he broke the kiss, his grin still etched on his face. He looked over at Lu Ten and laughed at the disgusted expression on his son's face.

"That's disgusting!" the boy announced. Iroh shifted his hold on Lu Ten so he could better keep him in his grasp. He was bigger than he remembered.

"If you keep growing like you are, you'll probably have a lady friend of your own by this time next year." Iroh teased.

"Spirits above, don't talk about such things!" Mayumi groaned just as Lu Ten let out a firm "Nuh-uh!"

Iroh laughed and hugged them both close.

"I am so glad to be home." he said.

"Will you really be home for the _whole _summer, Dad?" Lu Ten asked, looking up at him.

"The _whole _summer." Iroh confirmed, and Lu Ten's face broke into a grin.

"Prince Iroh!" he heard someone call, and he looked away from his family to see that it had been a servant, with a palanquin and full royal procession behind him, who'd called to him. Iroh was surprised he hadn't noticed them sooner. The servant bowed, and the guards and palanquin bearers followed his example.

"We are all delighted that you have returned." the servant said when he rose again.

"I am delighted as well. It is good to be home." Iroh said.

"We have come to take you and your family to the palace, sir." the servant said respectfully.

"Palanquin!" Lu Ten shouted, letting go of his father. Iroh laughed again and let the boy go. He ran excitedly to the palanquin and all but jumped inside when the servant held the curtain open for him.

"Do you not use the palanquin in my absence?" Iroh asked, looking down at his wife. She shrugged.

"I believe spoiling him that way is bad for his training." she said simply. She smiled up at him. "How would he become as great as his father if he cannot even walk long distances?"

Chuckling, Iroh shook his head and gave his wife a squeeze.

"If you trained all our soldiers, the war would be won by now." he said, and Mayumi laughed.

"Are you coming, sir? Madam?" asked the servant holding the curtain of the palanquin.

"Mom!" Lu Ten whined, poking his head out, "Dad! Let's _go!_"

Unable to stop himself, Iroh laughed yet again and then walked to the palanquin with his wife.

"From the _trees_?" Ozai asked skeptically at dinner that night.

"Brilliant!" his father exclaimed.

"You honor me with your praise, Fire Lord." Iroh said formally.

"You honor myself and your country with your military prowess, my son." Azulon said warmly. From the corner of his eye, Iroh noticed Ozai roll his eyes. He felt a quick flash of guilt, for what he wasn't entirely sure, and turned his attention to his younger brother.

"What have you been doing for the last year, brother?" he asked politely.

"Nothing of consequence, especially when compared to your achievements_._" Ozai replied, traces of a sneer in his voice.

Iroh frowned. Had he said something offensive?

"Ozai has a lady friend!" Ilah said excitedly.

"Mother!" Ozai groaned, his icy mask gone. He dropped his head on the table.

"Does he now?" Iroh asked, delighted, "It is about time!" _A good woman for Ozai might be just the thing. _he thought approvingly, _Maybe he'll finally relax a little and let himself be happy. _

"And just what does that mean?" Ozai asked, narrowing his eyes.

_Damn._

"I just meant that I think finding yourself a nice girl would be good for you." Iroh tried to explain. He placed his hand over Mayumi's, and she smiled at him. He smiled back at her before looking back at Ozai.

"I was a little younger than you when I met Mayumi, and she has been one of the brightest parts of my life." he said sincerely, and his wife beamed. Iroh bit back a chuckle when he noticed both Lu Ten and Azulon roll their eyes along with Ozai.

"Aw!" Ilah exclaimed delightedly, oblivious to most of her family's distaste.

"How did you meet her, Ozai?" Mayumi asked kindly.

"Two years ago, Mother dragged us all to a circus that had come to the Capitol. I met her there."

"What?!" Mayumi exclaimed, "You've been courting this young lady for two years, and we haven't had the pleasure of meeting her?"

"I'm not courting her!" Ozai exclaimed, "We're just friends!"

"And I don't suppose this girl's being underage has anythingto do with that?" Ilah asked mischievously.

"Ozai! That is scandalous!" Iroh admonished. Inside though, he was ecstatic. He was the product of dozens of generations of nobility.

He _adored _gossip.

"She'll be seventeen in two weeks!" Ozai whined.

"Honestly, Ozai, why don't you just use a concubine?" Azulon asked, somehow sounding bored and exasperated at the same time.

Ilah gasped and clapped her hands over Lu Ten's ears.

"What's a concubine?" the boy asked anyway.

"Oh, Agni." Iroh groaned.

Ilah and Mayumi looked scandalized.

Ozai barked out a laugh.

"Serves you right, all of you." he said, looking pleased.

"I'm glad someone is taking joy in this." Iroh said sarcastically.

"What's a concubine?!" Lu Ten insisted.

Iroh had just finished changing into his night clothes when he heard his bedroom door open. He turned and smiled at Mayumi.

"Did you finally get him settled down?" he asked.

"Finally!" she cried, "I swear though, every other minute he would ask me, _again, _what a concubine was or when was dad coming in to tell him a story!"

"I told him three stories!" Iroh said defensively.

"Well, maybe they should be actual _bedtime _stories and not war stories." Mayumi teased, poking him in the chest. Before she could withdraw her hand, Iroh caught it and brought it to his lips. He kissed her fingertips, sucking gently at the pads of her fingers. He smiled when Mayumi closed her eyes. He moved to kiss her palm. He threaded his fingers through hers and stepped closer.

"I have missed you more than words can express." he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

"I've missed you, too." she breathed. He lowered his mouth to hers, his kiss gentle. He smiled slightly when she kissed back, and he deepened it. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He began to kiss her neck, occasionally nipping or sucking gently at her skin. His hands began to skim over her body, caressing her through her robe.

_Maybe... _Iroh thought hopefully. He moved his hand to the knot that held her robe closed.

She gently grabbed his wrist.

Iroh dropped his forehead into the crook of her neck.

_Every time._

"I want to do everything to make you happy, Iroh," she started.

"I know." he muttered.

"but I can't do this."

He looked up at her. He could reassure her, as he'd tried to do before. He could tell her that he would do everything in his power not to hurt her, tell her that he would make sure her pleasure came before his own, but he knew it would do no good. So he said what he knew would make her feel better.

"I know."

He extricated himself from their embrace and placed a light, chaste kiss on her lips.

"Good night, Mayumi."

He walked over to the closet, pulled out a simple tunic and trousers, and began to change. He turned away from Mayumi to spare her the awkward sight of his changing his pants.

"Where are you going?" she asked softly.

"Just for a walk." he replied, "The Fire Days festival starts tonight. I might have a look around."

He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her to show there were no hard feelings.

"I'll see if I can find you an anniversary present."

"Our anniversary is still over two months away." Mayumi said, smiling slightly.

"So?"

"So, I'll probably find our closet full of nonsense when I wake up tomorrow." Mayumi teased gently.

Iroh finished dressing and smiled at her again.

"The only thing better than finding something you're looking for is finding something you _weren't_ looking for at a great bargain."

He finished changing and went to the door.

"Good night." Mayumi said softly when he opened it.

"Good night." he repeated, stepping out.

As soon as he shut the door, Iroh let out a sigh.

In a week, Lu Ten was going to be nine years old. Iroh thought back to nearly ten years ago. He remembered being thrilled that he was going to be a father, but as Mayumi's pregnancy progressed, he remembered that happiness often being eclipsed by worry. It had been difficult for her, very difficult. He remembered bizarre symptoms ranging from seemingly endless morning sickness to partial facial paralysis. The delivery had been even worse. Lu Ten had been a breach birth, and if the healer had not tried an experimental procedure called a "caesarean section," Iroh would have lost both of them.

He started to walk.

He remembered Mayumi's screaming and crying even hours after the procedure had been completed and Lu Ten had been born; it had hurt her so much. He remembered her being terrified of walking afterwards, certain her internal organs would fall out of her wound if she did. However, she had recovered, and she had gotten stronger. He thought things would return to normal once Lu Ten was older.

He left the palace, sneaking around the guards, because he was in no mood to be respectfully shoved into a palanquin and surrounded by an armed guard.

He remembered the first time he had tried after Lu Ten was born. The boy had been six months old, and he had slept the whole night through for a solid week before that night. He reached for Mayumi. There had been signs then, like the way she'd stiffened when he'd pulled her to him or how she'd seemed nervous when he kissed her, but he hadn't noticed them at the time. He'd missed her, and he wanted to show her just how much. When he reached to touch her between the legs however, Mayumi screamed and backed away, tears already pouring down her face. Lu Ten, awakened by his mother's cry, joined in with a cry of his own. Mayumi ran to take care of him, and she did not return. When he finally found her the next morning, he convinced her to talk about it, and he learned that she was terrified. She was terrified of his tearing her open, of another complicated pregnancy and delivery, of possibly not surviving the next time. She couldn't do it.

He bought a mask from the first vender he came to and placed it over his face.

It had been the same way for over eight years. He would try to entice her, but she would shy away, terrified as memories of her painful delivery and recovery came to mind. She could kiss and cuddle, and Iroh enjoyed that time with her, but she could go no further. He knew it was his right as Crown Prince to take a mistress or a concubine if he was so inclined, and Mayumi had occasionally encouraged him to do so. He tried once, in a brothel when he was away in the Earth Kingdom, but he hadn't enjoyed it much. He wasn't the type of man who'd use one woman for sexual gratification and another for emotional satisfaction. He preferred for it to be all or nothing.

He walked deeper into the city, occasionally stopping at a vender's stall to browse.

_It is not like Mayumi was very passionate before Lu Ten was born_, Iroh reminded himself. If he was honest with himself, he could admit that this was about the same sex life he had envisioned at this point in their marriage. He'd known that when married the demure woman. However, she was also a good, kind-hearted, and agreeable, and she was a wonderful mother. She deserved his understanding. She was a good wife, and he cared deeply for her. He just wished she would let him show her. He just wished she didn't fear him.

He jumped when he heard a _boom!_ followed by several crackling sounds. He was relieved when he realized it was just fireworks, and he smiled at the beautiful display. He shook his head to clear it of his depressing thoughts. This was the first time in years that he wasn't overseas during Fire Days, and he was determined to enjoy it.

Smiling slightly, he adjusted his mask and walked even deeper into the city.

Aww... poor Mayumi and Iroh. :(

I will admit that the first part of this was about as subtle as a mallet, but I promised you action, and I delivered! Please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you again, ArrayePL. :)

Fire Days in Yan Xiu coming up!

DISCLAIMER: I own the plot of _Almost, _but I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters. Unfortunately.

* * *

It had literally taken hours to slip away from her mother's Fire Days party, and even though she and Ming Lee had planned for that ("The later, the better!" Ming Lee declared excitedly), Ursa was still late to meet her friend.

"What took you?" Ming Lee demanded when she hurried into the alley next to the teashop where they'd argued the week before.

"Ozai didn't come to our party." Ursa said. She felt a slight pang in her chest when she said the words, but she ignored it. Ming Lee looked pleased, and she continued.

"Mother was devastated, and worse, she was angry. She was never away from my side for more than a minute, and she kept flinging me at 'available' men. I think she thought that maybe Ozai would get jealous and come see me again when he heard that I had other options. It took forever to get away from the last guy I was with. He was like a giant pentapus."

Unconsciously, she rubbed her behind, remembering the man's hands had seemed to grip her for dear life. Grimacing, she wondered if there would be bruises. Ming Lee raised an eyebrow.

"He felt you up?" she asked, disbelief in her voice, "An underage girl?"

Ursa nodded.

_ "In public_?!"

"No, it was completely private!" Ursa exclaimed, sarcasm dripping off the words, "It's just my mother, our servants, and half the Fire Nation nobility decided to come into the ballroom at just that moment!"

"Congratulations, I think you might have found someone creepier than his Highness." Ming Lee said, ignoring her friend's outburst.

"What happened to the moose-lion/koala-sheep thing?" Ursa asked, hiking up her evening gown and removing the weapons she had strapped to her leg. They'd made walking and especially dancing normally during the party a bit of a challenge, but Ursa didn't think anyone noticed. _Especially that last guy, _she thought grimly.

"At least he's subtle about it." Ming Lee said dismissively. She looked Ursa up and down. "Is that what you're wearing?"

"I was already late. I didn't have time to change." She looked down at her dress. "What's wrong with it?"

"Other than the fact that it screams 'I'm stinking rich! Please rob me!' not a thing."

"And just what I am supposed to do about it, now?" Ursa asked impatiently. She gestured in the direction she'd come. "I'm _not _going back in there."

Ming Lee looked her up and down again.

"Did you remember your boots?"

Ursa pulled her skirt up, revealing black, knee-high boots with gold trim and pointed toes. At Ming Lee's approving nod, Ursa dropped the skirt.

"You wearing a corset?"

"Yes..." Ursa said slowly, wondering where this was going.

"Hmm..." Ming Lee made a thoughtful noise, slowly nodding her head, "What color is it?"

"Gold...?" She felt suspicion beginning to stir along with the confusion, "Why?"

"Alright, we can make this work!" Ming Lee exclaimed darting behind her friend.

"Make what work? What are you doing?"

"Giving you an outfit that makes sense." Ming Lee pushed her deeper into the alley, and Ursa could feel her working at the strings that looped and tied her dress shut.

"By _stripping_ me?!"

"What did I say about this dress?"

Ursa grumbled something under her breath, and Ming Lee ignored her.

"Alright, this is taking too long." she said. Ursa heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed and gasped when the dress nearly slid off her.

"You _cut _me out of my dress?!" she demanded, holding the front of it to her chest.

"Just the strings." Ming Lee said defensively, "Like you said, we're already late."

"Wonderful. I'm sure my family will assume this is _exactly _what happened when pieces of my dress are found in a dark alley." Ursa said sarcastically. She felt her friend start to work on the strings of her corset. "And what happened to 'the later, the better'?"

"If you come late enough, everyone's inhibitions are gone, bizarre things happen, and that's where good stories come from. You come too late, all you're going to find are people passed out in pools of their own vomit."

"And we're doing this for _fun_?"

"If you'd shut up and let me work, we'll be there way before the vomit."

Ursa rolled her eyes and was silent for a bit until she felt her corset loosen and Ming Lee pull it apart.

"You've got something _else _on under here?" she demanded incredulously.

"Of course!" Ursa replied, "It's a chemise."

Ming Lee made a frustrated noise and held open the corset.

"Take it off."

"What?!" Ursa demanded, scandalized, "No!"

"It's not like I'm making you go naked!" Ming Lee snapped.

"Feels like it!"

"Ursa!" Ming Lee warned.

"Yan Xiu better be worth it." Ursa grumbled. She removed her arms from the sleeves of her gown and chemise. As the chemise dropped, she put her arms back in her gown and held it over her chest again.

"Okay..." Ming Lee said, re-tying the corset, "Tits up."

"Tits- wait, what?!"

"Reach in the corset and push your _breasts, _Miss Sensitive, up and together."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Ming Lee snapped, losing her patience.

"Okay, okay!" Ursa exclaimed, scrambling to obey her friend. She got her hands out of the corset just as her friend tightened it hard enough to crack a rib.

_Spirits above. _The corset was so tight even her thoughts came out in a wheeze.

Ming Lee tied it off and went to where she was standing in front of her.

"Drop the dress."

Ursa looked at her like she was an idiot and tightened the hold on her dress.

"I told you, you need an outfit that makes sense. It's not like you're going to be naked. Drop the dress."

Reluctantly, Ursa moved to let go of the dress, but when she looked down and saw her breasts, she let out a kind of wheezing squeak and clutched the dress even closer.

"_Now,_ what's your problem?"

Ursa opened her mouth to speak, but she didn't have enough air. Instead she began to cough weakly.

"You're such a wimp." Ming Lee said, rolling her eyes. She walked behind Ursa, who nearly shed tears of joy when she felt the corset loosen slightly. She took a loud, deep breath before remembering the state of her breasts. She quickly exhaled. The _last _thing she needed to do was breathe too deeply.

"What's your problem, again?" Ming Lee asked, in front of Ursa once more.

"My breasts are about to fall out!"

"Then I've done something right. Drop the dress." Ming Lee replied, unimpressed.

"Do you _want _me to end up in a gutter?" Ursa demanded shrilly, "What kind of friend are you?!"

"If a guy tries to put you in a gutter, you can just get stabby. Now, _drop. Your. Dress._"

Aware that her friend wouldn't give up, Ursa reluctantly let go of her dress and let it drop. Ming Lee let out an exasperated sigh at the sight of her dark red petticoats.

"If this is how much _fabric _you wear whenever you see Ozai, I have nothing to worry about."

Ursa glared at her.

Unperturbed, Ming Lee knelt in front of her.

"What are you—oh!" Ursa let out a yelp when she heard cloth rip, "Those are _silk!_" She was ashamed that her last sentence came out in a whine.

"Still are if you want to get technical." Ming Lee said, standing. She tugged lightly on the remains of Ursa's petticoats until they were draped low on her hips, and their shorter hem stopped about an inch above her knees. She backed up and looked Ursa up and down. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Ursa looked down at herself. All she wore was her gold corset, pulled much tighter than she was used to and fixed so that it was forcing her breasts practically up to her chin, the remnants of her dark red petticoats, and her boots.

She looked like a prostitute.

"I'm not going." she said firmly. She picked up her dress, chemise, and weapons and turned to walk away.

"What?! Ursa!" Ming Lee whined, following her.

"I am _not _prancing through Yan Xiu in my underwear."

Ming Lee snorted.

"Trust me. You and everyone in Yan Xiu have vastly different definitions of underwear. Compared to how some of the other women there will be dressed, you'll look like a nun."

"No." Ursa said, starting to walk away again.

"Ursa, I bet I can make you change your mind with two words." Ming Lee challenged.

"Unlikely!" Ursa called without looking back.

"Your mother!"

Ursa froze. _Damn!_

"Yan Xiu, here we come." she said dully, turning and pointing in its direction. She walked slumped over. She dropped her dress and discarded underthings in a trash bin and strapped her weapons to her back.

"Here's your mask." Ming Lee said, snickering. She pulled a mask from beneath her cloak and offered it to her.

Though she was still irritated at her friend, Ursa couldn't suppress a gasp at the sight of the mask. It was a full likeness of a river spirit she'd read about called the Painted Lady. It was paler than illustrations she'd seen, and its markings and smirking lips were gold rather than red, but it was still beautiful. Ursa loved it.

"Feel better?" Ming Lee asked as Ursa took the mask and placed it over her face.

"No." Ursa replied in a childish attempt to salvage her pride.

Shaking her head, Ming Lee laughed and led them into Yan Xiu.

* * *

Usually, Iroh never drank anything stronger than a good cup of tea; he didn't approve of how liquor clouded the mind. However, he decided as he took another swig of firewhiskey, he could not deny it had done wonders for his mood. He had found literally _dozens _of perfect gifts for Mayumi, though he honestly couldn't remember if he had bought them or not, he'd met some fascinating people, and almost _everything _was funny. He gave the firewhiskey bottle someone had forced into his hands earlier a considering look. Perhaps his men's fondness for the drink had some merit. With a shrug, he nudged the bottle under his mask and to his lips again and frowned when he discovered it empty. That was unfortunate.

He looked around, feeling somewhat disoriented. This was not the upper class part of the Capitol, _thank Agni, _he mentally chortled, but where was he? He looked around and grinned when he saw the Breath of Fire tavern and brothel, a place his men always visited when they were back on the shores of the Fire Nation. He was in Yan Xiu, the poorest, toughest part of the city. He grinned at the thought of how his father would react if he knew he was walking around in such a place. Iroh didn't care though. In fact, he _liked _the lower class parts of cities he visited. There was an honesty there that was rarely present in the noble circles his father and brother were so fond of. He turned to the Breath of Fire. _There _was where he could get more firewhiskey and some good conversation.

"More firewhiskey!" he bellowed cheerfully as he came through the door.

"Coming right up, handsome." grinned the bartender, a woman Iroh recognized as a prostitute named Li Fen.

He opened his mouth to tell her hello, but he was distracted by the rose gold gleam of the firewhiskey as it flowed into the glass Li Fen was holding. It was so... _beautiful_.

"Oy, Blue!" the prostitute called, shattering his reverie.

He looked around in his confusion, and then he remembered his mask. He pointed to his chest. _Me?_

"Yes, you!" she said playfully. She swirled the liquor in its glass, "You want this, you're going to have to come here and get it."

He swaggered, or staggered, he wasn't completely sure at this point, to the bar and took the drink from Li Fen. He pushed his mask upward slightly and took a swig of the liquor, smiling at the warmth that bloomed in his chest. He grinned at the woman behind the bar.

"This," he said, shaking the glass, "this... _quality _drink is almost as intoxicating as your beauty, Lady Li Fen."

He smiled again when her eyes widened in surprise at the epithet, and then her face broke into a grin. Only one man called her "Lady."

"Iroh!" she all but squealed.

He adjusted his mask back over his face and put a finger over its grinning lips.

"Shh... I'm _incognito_." he said in a loud whisper. He felt smug.

Unimpressed, Li Fen grabbed the chin of his mask and pushed it up until it was at his forehead. She laughed when she saw the almost pouting impression on his face.

"You'd do a better job of hiding who you were if you didn't go around calling whores ladies. The firewhiskey was a surprise though. What happened to 'liquor clouds the mind?'" she asked, taking on a mocking, upper-class accent for the last four words.

Iroh dropped onto a bar stool, a deep frown on his face.

"I... do not sound like that." he finally said firmly.

"Of course not." she said soothingly, stroking his arm. He looked over at her, noting the way she leaned over the bar so that he had a clear view down her tight fitting top. She was trying to seduce him, he decided. His suspicion was confirmed when she leaned over so her mouth brushed against his ear.

"I don't suppose your mind is 'clouded' enough for you to finally let me take you upstairs?" she asked in breathy voice.

"I am a married man, Li Fen." he said, mostly unaffected by the woman's attempted seduction.

Aware her ploy hadn't worked, Li Fen let out an exasperated sigh and pushed his mask back down over his face, just to be spiteful.

"So are a good number of the men my girls and I see." she replied, taking out a rag and wiping at a nonexistent smudge on the bar. This was always how it ended when she offered herself to the handsome firebender, and she knew pushing it would only irritate him.

"Speaking of your girls," Iroh said, adjusting his mask and looking blearily out the window, "have you had a lot of new hires lately?"

"What?" she asked, looking up from her cleaning.

"There seems to be an inordinate number of prostitutes outside."

She looked out the window and laughed when she saw the groups of masked, nearly naked young women walking around outside.

"No. There probably are a couple of whores out there, but the rest are dressed normally for Fire Days here in Yan Xiu."

"They do not dress like that in the upper levels of the Capitol."

Li Fen raised an eyebrow at him. She'd suspected that Iroh was some kind of noble, but this was the first time he'd even hinted at it. Deciding to ignore it, she spoke again.

"Do you like it?" she teased.

"It is wonderful."

"What happened to being a married man, Mr. Faithful?"

"I can dream!" he retorted saucily, sloshing the firewhiskey in his glass.

Li Fen laughed.

* * *

After they had arrived in Yan Xiu, and particularly after her friend had removed her own cloak, Ursa felt much better about how she was dressed. Ming Lee wore thigh-high variations of pointed Fire Nation boots and a skirt that amounted to little better than a purple bandage that hung low on her hips and stopped perhaps two inches below her rear end. Her dark red top looked like someone had placed a length of fabric around her neck like a loose scarf, crossed it over her breasts, and wrapped it around her a few times before tying it in the back.

It also looked like it could come undone any second.

Compared to how Ming Lee and the other women in Yan Xiu were dressed, Ursa almost _did _feel like a nun, and she had no problem with that. It meant that the men who came up to them were attracted by Ming Lee, and that suited Ursa just fine. Flirtation had never been one of her strong points. In her shyness, she'd usually either sputter stupidly, or her mind would go completely blank, and all she could so was blush and look away. Her thoughts brought Ozai to mind. He was no better at flirting than she was.

_Where is he now?_ she wondered, wandering a few feet away from Ming Lee and her admirers, _Why hadn't he come to Mother's party?_

It was just as well, she decided. Obviously, even she hadn't planned on staying at her mother's party. She came to Yan Xiu to have fun, and she didn't need Ozai or any other guy to do that. With a determined air, she strode through the streets of Yan Xiu, leaving Ming Lee to deal with her new friends. She was surprised to see that her friend was right about celebrating here. It _was_ better than the noble parties she'd gone to since she was a child. She _liked_ the fireworks that shot wild half the time and had to be ducked under at the last minute. She liked the food that "amounted to a heart attack in a bag." She hadn't been fond of the cheap liquor when she'd tried it, but she could admit to getting a laugh out of people who were. Rather than being lecherous and grabby like she feared, most of them were friendly and made vulgar, but still hilarious, jokes. The rare amorous drunks she came across were easily deflected.

She was eating fire flakes and watching dances that really _would_ get the people performing them arrested where she lived when she felt a hand on her arm. She jumped slightly and smiled when she realized it was just Ming Lee.

"_There _you are!" Ming Lee cried, pulling her into a hug, "I was worried."

"About what?" Ursa laughed, hugging her back, "You're right, Ming. Yan Xiu is fun."

"I still wish you'd stayed with me." Ming Lee said, pulling away, "It's safer for us to stick together."

"Well, that was kind of hard with all your boyfriends pushing me out of the way." Ursa teased. It was then she noticed the masked man in black clothes standing a few feet away. "Speaking of which..." She gestured to the man behind Ming Lee. "New friend?"

Ming Lee looked behind her and shook her head in an exasperated sort of way.

"I managed to scare off every one of those guys except him. But you're nothing if not persistent, eh, Wolf?" she called to him. The man, whose black and gray mask suddenly made sense, nodded.

"Does this... Wolf... speak?" Ursa asked, giving him a smile.

"Not a word." Ming Lee said, rolling her eyes before giving him a slight smile, "He did help me find you, though." She smiled at Ursa.

"Now, let's actually have some fun _together._" she said. They began walking, Wolf never more than five or six feet away.

"Is he going to follow you all night?" Ursa whispered. Ming Lee shrugged.

"Considering my experiences with him so far, probably. However, dealing with your brother has made me _excellent _at ignoring- oh!" She let out a yelp and clutched her backside. She whirled to glare at Wolf, who looked far too casual. A broomstick Ursa was sure hadn't been there before leaned against the wall next to him.

"Did you just poke me?" Ming Lee demanded.

Arms crossed, Wolf shrugged. _Maybe._

Ming Lee glared at him, and his gaze never wavered. Eventually, Ursa got bored and put a hand on Ming Lee's elbow.

"Uh, Ming? Fun?"

"Yes." she said, looking away from Wolf, "Let's go."

They walked through Yan Xiu some more, Wolf not too far behind, and it was even _more _fun this time around, since she was with someone who really knew the area and the people in it. She still hadn't developed a taste for firewhiskey, no matter how often Ming Lee tried to get her to try it, and she was still too shy to try the dancing, but it was all right. She still had fun. After some time, Ming Lee pulled her in the direction of a tavern.

"This is the Breath of Fire, one of the best places in the Capitol." Ming Lee explained as they walked in.

"Ming, my love!" cried the barkeep, "Finally agreed to work for me?"

Ursa was surprised to feel Wolf tense behind them. She was even more surprised to see Ming Lee touch his arm reassuringly. She looked like she wasn't even thinking about it.

"Never gonna happen, Li Fen!" Ming Lee called back, leading them through the packed tavern to the only empty seats, which happened to be at the bar. Ursa sat to Ming Lee's right, Wolf to her left.

"You're an acrobat." the woman insisted, "Do you have any idea how much money you could make with that information alone?"

Confused, Ursa looked back and forth between Ming Lee and the bartender, Li Fen. Ming Lee caught her bewildered expression and smiled slightly.

"Li Fen is a madam." she explained. Ursa gasped and leveled a glare at the woman.

"Relax, child." Li Fen breezed, undisturbed by her scowl, "I'm not saying anything about her character. I'm just offering her a profitable business arrangement."

"Still not gonna happen. Three glasses of firewhiskey, please." Ming Lee ordered.

"Ming!" Ursa protested.

"Just try it." Ming Lee urged, as Li Fen placed a glass in front of each of them, "The stuff outside is cheap. This," she said, swirling the liquid in her glass, "is quality."

Ursa rolled her eyes and, expecting to choke like she had the last few times she tried, she took a sip of the whiskey. The painful fire she expected to wrack her throat, chest, and belly never came. Curious, she took another, larger, sip. Still no fire, just warmth. It was all-encompassing, like the fire, but it felt good.

"See?" Ming Lee asked, satisfied. She turned to Wolf. "Now... your turn. Mask off."

Wolf hastily shook his head.

Ursa watched, fascinated, as Ming Lee turned her charm on.

"You..." she said, walking her fingers up his arm, "have been hiding from me all night. Please take off the mask?"

He shook his head again.

"Not even a peek?" Ming Lee asked, scooting closer to him.

Again, Wolf shook his head.

Ming Lee scooted even closer, almost in his lap.

"What if I kiss you?" she breathed into his ear, and Ursa saw him shudder noticeably at the thought.

_ He's doomed, _she thought, taking another swig of her whiskey.

She was surprised when he, though clearly reluctant, shook his head again.

Ming Lee pouted.

* * *

Iroh, though still technically drunk, was smart enough to have stopped drinking hours ago, which was why he was still able to notice things. Like the young man next to him in the wolf mask. He watched him and the pretty girl trying to get his mask off with unabashed amusement. He had to marvel at the young man's self-control. If he were single and in his position, his mask and anything else she wanted would have already gone by the wayside. He smiled as the girl pouted after the third time he denied her. He almost missed the devious expression that passed quickly over her face. She looked behind her companion. Right at him.

"Hey, Blue." she said, with a sensual smile, "You look like a nice, _well-built _man."

The man next to him stiffened.

Iroh knew an attempt to make a man jealous when he saw one, but before he could say he wanted no part of it, she spoke again.

"Dance with my friend."

Well, that was unexpected.

* * *

"Ming?" Ursa asked tentatively when she heard her friend give the order. Ming Lee stood up and grabbed the arm of the man sitting on the other side of Wolf.

"Come on. She's really sweet, and I don't believe she's had the chance to dance _once _tonight." she said, pulling him up.

Ursa gasped at the sight of his mask, a truly creepy blue and white thing with a fanged, demonic grin. She tossed her friend a look. Ming Lee didn't _really _expect her to go along with being passed off on a creepy stranger while she seduced Wolf-boy, did she?

"This is Blue." Ming Lee said, looking at her and then pointedly at the stranger. Apparently, she did.

Ursa opened her mouth to protest when the stranger, Blue, gave her a playful mock bow. She caught a flash of gold beneath the eye holes of his mask, and her words died.

_Ozai, _she thought. She tried to ignore the memories of sparring that suddenly came to mind. She looked Ming Lee, still watching her expectantly, and bit back an evil grin. For over a year, ever since she found out about Ozai visiting her, Ming Lee had harped on how wrong he was for her. Now, she was pushing her into his arms. The irony was delicious.

"Fine." she grumbled, though it was only for show. She stood up and took Blue's hand. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and swept her onto the dance floor before her sudden realization could fully register. By the time the thought was fully formed, the man's arms were firmly around her, and they were surrounded by whirling, dancing people.

_This isn't Ozai._

* * *

I know. I know. This probably wasn't the best place to end this, but I don't think there's a better place. If I put everything I'd planned on putting in this chapter in here, it would probably be thirty or forty pages by the end. Please review!

Until next time everyone. :)


	5. Chapter 5

TWO reviewers! I feel so popular. :) Thanks again to ArrayePL and special thanks to iCream.

More Fire Days!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar or its characters.

* * *

The first and most important thing Iroh noticed about the woman in his arms was that she _was _indeed a woman. He'd met more than one transvestite in his travels, and he'd often found them to be more persistent than even women like Li Fen. He still remembered a particularly amorous one he'd met during his first tour of duty in the Earth Kingdom very clearly. A battalion of earthbenders had been less unnerving.

He adjusted his hold on his partner's waist, and they started to dance. The only thing unnerving about this Painted Lady, he observed, was that she was a distractingly soft and curvacious creature. He just wanted to hold her close and get lost in that appealing softness. He frowned at his lascivious thoughts and decided to blame the firewhiskey.

The second thing he noticed about the woman he danced with was that she stiffened just as their dance began. Still somewhat tipsy, Iroh narrowed his eyes and focused on his nether regions. Surely, his reaction to her hadn't been _that _noticeable? No, he decided, it was not_. _Something else must be bothering her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her, and he smiled when she relaxed a little.

"I'm sorry. I just thought I knew you." Her voice was muffled by her mask, but Iroh still felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound of it. It was rich and sweet, like warm honey. He was so distracted by the sheer beauty of her voice that it took a moment for her words to actually have meaning. He stiffened slightly as well. He really did like lower class people, but he still understood that it was probably not the best idea to reveal himself as the richest man in the Fire Nation to an intoxicated group of the poorest. And most dangerous. He pushed the thought away and reminded himself that this woman only _thought _she knew him.

"How do you know you don't?" he attempted to tease.

"You're shorter." she said bluntly.

"Alright then." he replied, for once at a loss for words.

"It's just that my friend, the person I thought you were, is taller and thinner than you are. Your build is larger than his." Her speech was hurried and clearly nervous, and Iroh felt a rush of something like affection for this Painted Lady. She was obviously young, and she was very cute now that she was flustered. Somehow, she grew even more attractive.

"No harm done." he chuckled, "I am a firebender, but I have been told more than once that I look like an earthbender." He took one of his arms off her waist and flexed it playfully. He closed his eyes at the sound of her laugh. It was even lovelier than her voice.

_Firewhiskey is definitely a dangerous drink, _he decided, shifting away from her slightly so she wouldn't notice his... condition.

* * *

Ming Lee smiled at the sight of her friend on the dance floor. She couldn't see her face, but her body language indicated she was comfortable with the man she danced with. Ming Lee could also see that Blue was a decent man. His hands didn't wander, and he didn't appear to be pressuring her into imitating the raunchy dance moves going on around them. She'd made a good choice with him, she decided. She turned to look back at Wolf. He watched her, his expression impassive, or at least she assumed it was beneath his mask.

"Will you take it off now?" she asked softly.

Once again, he shook his head, and Ming Lee bit back an exasperated groan.

She'd had lovers in the past. Not many, and not in a while, but she'd had them, and she'd learned from them. From her time with them, Ming Lee could see that Wolf wanted her, but he was holding back for some reason. And the tricks she'd learned to charm her previous lovers had failed with him. He was a challenge.

She liked challenges. She liked having to learn to move or think differently than she normally would have to solve a problem. She felt it made her better at what she did. Now, she had a new challenge. This wasn't about getting him to drink firewhiskey anymore. She wanted to kiss him now. Badly. However, he just would not remove the mask. She felt an idea beginning to form.

"Do you even want me to kiss you?" she asked, her pout only half for show. She didn't know what she'd do if he didn't really want to. She suppressed a smile when he nodded quickly.

"But you can't take off your mask?"

He nodded again, this time much less enthusiastically. She thought about her plan again.

"Could we reach a... compromise?" she asked slowly. He cocked his head at her in a way that Ming Lee guessed was either wary or interested. Possibly both.

"If you kept your mask on but pushed it above your mouth then..." Her voice dropped, and she swallowed. "...then would you kiss me?"

Surprised that she was nervous, she waited for him to reply. She wondered what he was waiting for and then realized that if he pushed his mask up, his eyes would be covered. If she wanted to, she could rip the mask off his face, and he wouldn't be able to see to stop her until it was too late. He had to put a lot of trust in her, a stranger.

"I promise I'll let you keep the mask on. Just uncover your mouth. Please?"

She thought she could see him narrow his eyes through the mask, considering her promise. Eventually, he gave her a slow nod. He moved his hands up towards his mask, but Ming Lee stopped him.

"Please... let me." She almost felt like she _needed _to touch his him, his face.

She could tell he was suspicious, so she spoke again.

"I promised." she reminded him. Slowly, he nodded and put his hands down. Just as slowly, making sure he could see her hands, she put them both under his chin, where the mask began. She felt where the mask met his skin, and without thinking, she lingered there, running a finger along the line between plaster and flesh. She felt him shudder, and she bit her lip.

Gently, she lifted the mask away and began pushing up. His chin came into view, and without thinking, she placed a light kiss on it. In an instant, his arms were around her, crushing her to him, and she gasped. He was so warm and hard and _male. _Trying to get some control of herself, she shifted away from him slightly and took a breath. He let her move away a little, but he didn't let her go.

She suspected she'd have slapped him if he had.

Taking another breath, she moved her hands back to his face and pushed the mask upward some more.

His lower lip.

She bit her own again and kept moving.

His upper lip.

She got the mask just under his nose before those surprisingly inviting lips moved.

"Enough." he mouthed, and she nodded even though her quickly dimming rational mind told her he couldn't see it.

Her fingertips seemed to run over his lips of their own accord. He gently grabbed one of her wrists and pressed a kiss to her fingers. She closed her eyes at the contact and smiled slightly when he moved to place a kiss on each of her fingers. She gasped when she felt him nip the pad of her ring finger. She opened her eyes and almost panted at the sight of him gently sucking on the finger he'd bitten. She wanted more. Not just a kiss. She wanted_ him_, and she knew acting on that desire might not be the best idea. They should stop this.

She opened her mouth to speak, and, as though he'd suspected what she was going to say, he swooped in to kiss her before she could.

She gasped at the sensation, the pure _fire, _of the kiss, and moaned slightly when the fire seemed to spread and ricochet from her mouth to other parts of her body. The kiss was demanding and passionate and almost dripping with need, and before Ming Lee could really think about it, her arms were around his neck, and she was kissing him back just as hard.

He pulled her even closer, almost into his lap, and she willingly went the rest of the way, settling comfortably on his legs. She gasped again as their tongues dueled. Their embrace was intense. He kissed like he'd known and wanted her for years rather than just a few hours. She mentally shrugged at her observation and then gave into the feeling of it again.

* * *

Ursa, as women are apt to do, noticed more things about the man she danced with. First was that "Blue," as Ming Lee called him, was very obvious not Ozai. Ozai was tall and lean with a sculpted body and a lithe grace that made him impossible to look away from. This man was short, barely an inch taller than her, and built like a walking brick wall. His arms felt like a pair of particularly thick tree limbs had been wrapped around her. He also did not have Ozai's grace, though she had to admit he danced rather well.

The second thing she noticed about this man was his voice. Crushed velvet was what it made her think of. It was smooth, rough, and luxurious all at the same time. It also sent a delightful little shiver through her when he spoke. This confused her for a moment until she remembered that, according to Ming Lee, what firewhiskey took away in inhibitions, it made up for in libido. _That must be it, _she thought dismissively.

The third thing was that he very obviously liked to talk. After his joke about looking like an earthbender, he tried talking to her about other things. The trouble was he asked her the kinds of questions that Ursa felt were better left unanswered when they were posed by a stranger she met in the roughest part of town. When he got nowhere, he changed tactics. Rather than asking her where she was from and if she had any other friends with her, he asked her about her interests. In her experience, men rarely found her hobbies interesting, and most of them would have given her away as a noblewoman anyway. She'd literally been torn out of her clothes to hide her wealth, and she wasn't going to blow the whole charade with a careless word. Eventually, Blue just stopped talking. Ursa let out a frustrated sigh. Add her shyness to her inability to at least _make up _something to talk about, and she had the conversational skills of a sea sponge.

One thing she liked about Ozai was that he didn't talk much either. They had been known to see each other and exchange maybe two words over the course of their interaction. He communicated through touch. She remembered dancing with him at one party or another her mother had thrown. His hands had stayed on her waist or on the small of her back, where it was appropriate, but his touches lingered and caressed, and they'd made her arch against him like a satisfied cat. She remembered the way his lips had brushed against her ear when he chuckled at her reaction.

The fourth thing she noticed about this man was that, even though he appeared to be Ozai's opposite in nearly every way, her reaction to him was almost the same. She felt a familiar warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach. In the solitude of her own mind, she could admit to what that feeling was. This man, this stranger, was making her feel lustful. It was strange.

"HEY!"

A voice bellowing, complemented by a hand banging on wood, jarred Ursa from her thoughts. She looked in the direction of the bar, where the noise was coming from, and gasped. Ming Lee was sitting on Wolf's lap, his mask was askew, and they were kissing fiercely. Ursa knew Ming Lee had a way with the opposite sex. Flirtation was a game, a challenge, to her, but it never went beyond that. She remembered Wolf's teasing and his protectiveness. She also remembered Ming Lee's unconscious reassurance.

_Yep, _she decided, _Ming really likes Wolf. _

* * *

Iroh was also distracted by the sound of Li Fen yelling. He looked up to see the Painted Lady's half-dressed friend on Wolf-Man's lap.

"The only ones who get to do that here are the ones who pay! Find an alley or something!" Li Fen was shouting.

Even Iroh flinched at the glare Half-Naked One leveled at the prostitute. Without further ado, she shoved Wolf-Man's mask back down, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him out of the tavern. It was very apparent that they were going to take Li Fen's advice.

Iroh was outraged. They were just going to leave?! They were going to leave their friend in the most dangerous part of town to go _copulate_ in an alley somewhere?! He looked back at the woman he'd been dancing with. She was staring at the door her friends had gone through, her back to him. Iroh guessed she was dumbfounded. It was then he noticed the weapon, or weapons if he guessed correctly, strapped to her back.

_Unusual choice, _he thought, narrowing his eyes. Without thinking, he reached out and touched the scabbard.

She whirled and had his wrist before he fully registered that she moved. Her grip was strong and well placed, and he knew that one wrong move could get his wrist broken. He looked up at her, and the look in her eyes cured his earlier half-aroused state faster than a bucket of ice water. Her shyness was no longer present. The only look in her eyes was the cold gleam of someone who not only knew how to kill, but had been well trained.

"Never touch these." she ordered. Suddenly, Iroh was no longer concerned for her safety. He was more worried about his own.

"My apologies, my lady." he said humbly. Her eyes widened, and she let go his wrist. She didn't speak, but he could see the question in her eyes.

"A graduate of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls is rather distinct." he said, rubbing his wrist, "I am sure you made them proud."

He let out a yelp when she grabbed him by the wrist again and dragged him out of the tavern as well.

* * *

Ursa had Blue by the wrist, and she was dragging him out of the tavern. That was the extent of her planning. She had no idea where to go after that.

"Could we perhaps talk about this?" he asked once they were outside.

Ignoring his question, Ursa thought about what to do. What was she going to do now? Demand his identity? Threaten him?

_What would be the point of either of those things?_ some part of her asked, and Ursa stopped in her tracks. The initial panic at her being discovered as noble in the worst part of town was fading, and her rational mind was kicking in. The only reason she hid her wealth was to keep from getting robbed, not to protect her reputation. Nobles could celebrate Fire Days however they wanted to. No one at court would care if she went to Yan Xiu. This man, with his manners and speech and knowledge of the Academy, was clearly a noble on a lark, just like her. He wouldn't rob her, and he certainly couldn't blackmail her. Ursa dropped his wrist and let out a frustrated groan. She was such an idiot!

"Is everything alright?" Blue asked, concerned.

And he was a good guy! Perfect! She'd just pointlessly dragged a nice man out of a pub to protect her identity _for no reason. _She reached behind her and was reassured by the feel of her scabbard under her fingers. Why couldn't the guy be a pervert, so she could get some satisfaction from smacking him around a little?

"So, this is how it ends?" he asked, interrupting his thoughts, "Eviscerated in Yan Xiu by an attractive stranger? There are worse ways to die, I suppose."

She turned to face him and just stared for a minute. "Are you... _flirting _with me?" she finally asked.

"Will it keep me alive?"

"It might." she replied stiffly. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or even more annoyed when he chuckled.

For a second, Ursa watched Blue, unsure of what she should do now. Memories of their dance came to mind, and she compared it to the last man she'd danced with at her mother's party. He'd been a nobleman as well, and he knew she was a noblewoman, his equal. However, he'd spoken to her in a condescending tone that set her teeth on edge and groped her like a common whore in front of her mother. And then there was this nobleman. He was drunk. He'd been completely unaware of her status until a few minutes ago. For all he knew, she could have been a prostitute, and yet despite all of this, he spoke to her like an equal, and his hands didn't wander. The fact that he kept his manners even when no one would have judged him for doing otherwise spoke volumes about his character. She looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"For what?" he asked, and Ursa was amazed that he sounded genuinely surprised.

"For... yanking you out of the... tavern...?" she explained uncertainly, gesturing helplessly. He chuckled again.

"Once again, no harm done." he said serenely, "You were probably just trying to avoid being robbed. I understand completely."

"_Thank_ you!" Ursa exclaimed gratefully, and Blue laughed again. She saw him quickly sober.

"However, if you and your friend wanted to avoid being harmed, separating was probably not the best course of action." Ursa heard the disapproving note in his voice.

"At least my friend isn't alone." she tried to joke. She could tell by his reaction that it fell flat.

"I hope you are not offended, but her behavior was unbecoming for someone of her station."

Ursa quirked a brow at him, briefly forgetting he couldn't see her expression.

"And what station is that?"

"Noblewoman...?" he asked slowly, suddenly sounding less sure of himself. Ursa thought about being quiet and watching him squirm for a while, but she decided against it. He was still a nice man, even if he was a little formal. She laughed and shook her head.

"No, she's not. In fact, she lives here in Yan Xiu. She is a very talented... performer." she said, deciding to keep some semblance of anonymity between them, "My father is her patron."

"I still do not think it was right for her leave you alone." he said stubbornly, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Weren't you just wondering if I was going to eviscerate you in an alley?" she teased, "I can take care of myself."

"Fair enough." he admitted with a chuckle, and Ursa smiled again.

"Besides," she said, feeling a need to defend Ming Lee, "In the years I've known my friend, I've never seen her act that way around a man. Her... _attachment_ to him was obvious." Ursa flushed when Blue laughed at her choice of words. She cleared her throat. "I don't begrudge her any happiness." she mumbled.

"Young love, I suppose." Blue said, shaking his head.

"I suppose." Ursa agreed awkwardly. For a time, they were quiet. Just when it was about to get to Ursa, Blue spoke again.

"Look, I realize you can take care of yourself, but would you please let me walk you home? I could not, as a gentleman, leave you alone in a place like this." He sounded so earnest that Ursa had to smile again. However, she didn't _completely _trust him. He was still a stranger, after all.

"Okay, but I'm keeping my eye on you." she said, demonstratively putting a hand on the scabbard at her back. She relaxed a little when Blue chuckled again.

"I would not have it any other way. After you." he said, with a playful bow. Laughing, Ursa shook her head, and she had Blue began making their way out of Yan Xiu.

* * *

Iroh had been brought up a gentleman. Bringing this woman home was the gentlemanly thing to do. At least, that's what he told himself. It wasn't because he wanted to hear her honeyed voice again. It wasn't to hear her laugh again, and he did _not _do things he would have called foolish mere hours ago to provoke it. It _definitely _wasn't because he was enjoyed watching the sway of her hips as she walked.

He would admit though that he enjoyed conversing with her. Now that they were aware of their common status, they suddenly had much more to talk about. Though she was still somewhat shy and, judging by the way she spoke, clearlyyounger than him, Iroh found her to be intelligent and insightful. He also thought she had a refreshingly blunt sense of humor, which he guessed was influenced by her half-dressed Yan Xiu friend. When they got back to the highest level of the Capital, he was surprised to see that it was nearly dawn. He and the Painted Lady had probably wandered every corner of the city on their way back to their home, and he hadn't noticed. All his attention had been on her. It was remarkable.

"Well..." she said, looking away from him, "It was nice meeting you, I guess. Even if we didn't technically meet since I haven't seen your face or know your name—" She broke off with a frustrated growl, and Iroh found himself chuckling at her again.

"It was truly a pleasure." he said, and he smiled at the grateful look in her eye when she looked up at him. "May we meet again, my Painted Lady." She quickly looked away, but Iroh was certain she flushed beneath her mask.

"Good-bye." she muttered, and she quickly walked away. Iroh watched her with a bemused expression on his face. She was clearly a socially awkward _teenager, _for Agni's sake! He was a grown man, with a child who would be a teenager himself in a few short years. Despite these facts, Iroh was fascinated by this strange young woman, even more so than he had been by Mayumi when they had been teenagers. At the thought of his sweet wife, Iroh felt a rush of guilt. He had not thought of her since the Painted Lady stepped into his arms. Shaking his head at his foolishness, he turned and headed back to the palace.

* * *

Just after dawn, Ming Lee opened her eyes. When she still couldn't see, her first reaction was panic. She groped frantically at her face and sagged in relief when she felt the fabric over her eyes. She'd been blindfolded. _So, it hadn't been a dream, _she thought idly, and then she grinned happily as memories of the night before came flooding back to her.

_Somehow the door opened behind her, and they, or more accurately he, stumbled into her apartments. They almost fell, but he shifted her so that he was carrying her, legs wrapped around his waist. They bumped into the wall a few times on their way to her bedroom, and Ming Lee smiled when she remembered he couldn't see with his mask askew. Whenever it happened, she would just laugh and rain kisses on the lower half of his face until he started moving again..._

_ ...She was surprised when he put her down next to the bed. When he kissed her, it was slow and sensual, and the drastic change from their earlier frantic pace left her dizzy. She closed her eyes. Tenderly, his lips moved to the corner of her mouth, to her cheek. She shuddered when she felt him drag his lower lip over her jaw to her ear, where he flicked the lobe with his tongue before biting down on it. She whimpered, and she felt him smile. She reached for him, but he caught her wrists and put her arms back down at her sides. _

Don't touch me yet...

_ He pushed her hair over one shoulder, and she shuddered when he placed an open-mouthed kiss on the nape of her neck. She bit her lip again when she felt the knot at the back of her top come undone until it was just a line of fabric around her neck. She jerked when his hands ran over her bare breasts. It was like an electric shock, and it only grew more intense as his thumbs traced slow, spiraling circles closer and closer to her nipples. She gasped when he finally touched her, and he kissed her ear, the tip of his tongue touching the shell..._

_ ...He blindfolded her. At first, being unable to see a strange man unnerved her, but he made her feel better when he took her hands and held them over his face. She felt cheekbones, eyes, and she smiled. He took off his mask._

It had disappointed her a little that he _still _didn't want her to see who he was when it was obvious how their night was going to end, but she could admit that he had definitely more than made up for it. He'd easily been the best lover she'd ever had. Ming Lee stopped her musing when she suddenly felt something shift next to her. An arm wrapped around her waist, and she grinned again. _He stayed, _she realized happily. She'd never been with a man who didn't sneak out during the night. This one was definitely unique. And she definitely wanted to know if she would see him again.

She turned so that she was facing the man next to her and pushed her blindfold out of the way. She made an approving noise at the sight of the strong chest in front of her. Very nice. She planted a gentle kiss on it, grinning at his answering whine, before she looked up towards his face.

She stopped breathing.

For a second, all she could do was stare. Last night had definitely been a dream. It had to have been a dream. Reality was cruel but not this cruel. Childishly, she pinched herself and winced at the pain. Damn. He stirred, and she flinched away from him. Thankfully, he remained asleep.

_I have to get out of here. _Ming Lee thought. It didn't matter that she was the one the bed belonged to, that she had every right to kick him out if she wanted. She just had to get away from him. Extricating herself from his embrace as quickly as she could without waking him, she rummaged through one of her drawers, pulled on some loose pants and a tunic, and all but ran from her room.

* * *

There it is. Chapter 5 at long last. Sorry, it took so long, but this chapter was particularly rough for me for some reason. I will admit that this was the first time I've written something even vaguely lemony, but it was tough before that. I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about it, and any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism would be much appreciated.

Also, I'll try not to wait too long between this chapter and the next. Until next time everyone... :)


	6. Chapter 6

Once again, I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

"You snuck out of the house in the middle of a celebration and disrespected our guests, _destroyed _a very expensive evening gown, went to a spirit-forsaken _cesspool _and did who knows what, and then you came home at dawn in your underwear positively _reeking _of firewhiskey!" Lady Mi Yung of the Yu family shrieked at her daughter.

"What does _any _of that information have to do with this situation?!" Ursa yelled back, not bothering to deny any of her mother's accusations.

"It shows that you're _clearly _not mature enough to make these kinds of decisions!"

"I have to be mature to know I hate Komodo chicken?! I've hated it since I was a child, and I refuse to have it served at _my _ball!"

"It is traditional Fire Nation cuisine, and you should cater to the tastes of your guests!"

"Unless it's suddenly unpatriotic to eat pork at a ball, I don't think anyone's going to care!"

It had been one week since Ursa's adventures in Yan Xiu. Her mother, once it had been ascertained that she hadn't been raped in the streets, had been furious with her, and for the past week, she hadn't been allowed to leave Yu manor. She wasn't even allowed to have guests. For the past week, she had been unable to escape her mother's vapid party suggestions and not so subtle hints that she was irresponsible. The longer Ursa had to put up with it, the more she and her mother argued. Her father had locked himself away in his study, refusing to come out until "this whole ball nonsense was over," and as far as Ursa could tell, he had been true to his word. He took all of his meals there, and she was pretty sure he slept there as well. The servants, who used to do their jobs at a rather leisurely pace so that she could converse with them if she wished (and she often did), now did their chores as quickly as possible before all but running back to their own homes or quarters. Zhang had been in his own world for the past week, but Ursa was too enraged at her mother most of the time to care. It was a vicious cycle. The more she argued with her mother, the more other people she liked in the house avoided her, leaving her with only one person to talk to: her mother. She wanted to wring her skinny neck.

"In addition to being traditional Fire Nation cuisine, it is also elegant!" her mother retorted.

"And pork is what, the slop of the unwashed masses?! I don't care! I still want it at _my _party!"

"I'm done arguing with you!"

"Alert the Fire Lord! Surely, the war's about to end next!" Ursa sneered.

"Don't you sass me, Yu Ursa!"

Ursa's response was a frustrated roar before storming out of the room. Fuming, she stalked down the hall, fully intent on going to her room and breaking every gift her mother ever gave her. And then she'd break the pieces. Because she was so intent on her plans, she didn't notice anyone else was around until a pair of hands shot out and dragged her into a room. The room was dark, and Ursa couldn't see who had her. She opened her mouth to let out a scream, but a hand was clapped over her mouth.

"It's just me!" her captor said quickly, and she sagged in relief.

"Ming?" she asked when the hand was removed. She turned so that she was relatively sure she faced her friend.

"Yes. Can we talk?" the acrobat asked.

"_Yes_!" Ursa exclaimed, thrilled to have someone to talk to besides her mother, "Let's go to the garden! My mother won't be there, because the presence of sunlight and happiness burns."

She grabbed Ming Lee's arm and pulled her out of the room, steering her toward the gardens. There was a lone gardener there, but Ursa quickly dismissed him, leading Ming Lee to a stone bench next to a fountain. Now that they were out in the light and no longer moving, Ursa got a good look at her friend. She was surprised at what she saw. Ming Lee looked like she hadn't slept or eaten well since Yan Xiu, and there was a kind of twitchy nervousness there that Ursa had never seen before.

"Are you okay?" she asked, reaching tentatively for her friend.

"I'm fine!" Ming Lee said brightly, but her flinching away belied her words.

"Ming..."

"I do have to talk to you, though." Ming Lee interrupted. Her voice was still bright, but it was tinged with hysteria.

"Okay..."

"First of all, I am so, _so _sorry I left you alone in Yan Xiu. It was cruel and selfish and stupid, and you didn't deserve it, and—"

"It's fine, Ming." Ursa reassured her, confused and more than a little unnerved that her friend was near tears.

"No, it's not!" she almost shrieked, and Ursa jumped, "I left you alone, and I don't what I could do to make it up to you—"

"By telling me what's the matter!" Ursa interrupted again, "I've been to Yan Xiu to before. I had my weapons with me. That Blue guy was actually really nice and walked me back to back to the upper part of the Capital. It really is okay. I can tell though that this is not what's bothering you. Talk to me." She had never seen her friend like this, and it frightened her.

"I tried to talk to you sooner, but your mother kept saying that you didn't want to see anyone, and I thought—"

"Mother was just punishing me, and for the last time, I don't _care _that you left me alone in Yan Xiu, alright?! We went there to enjoy ourselves, and..." her tone turned teasing, desperate to lighten the mood, "it was obvious _you _were having fun."

She was horrified when Ming Lee burst into tears.

"Spirits above, what happened?!"

Ming Lee swallowed and tried to speak. Her body was shaking with the force of her sobs. "I- I took Wolf h-home with me, and..." she dissolved into incoherent sobs again, and Ursa felt horror well up inside her. _What had he done to her?_

"Ming. Ming!" she said trying to get her friend's attention, "Did he hurt you?" she asked, fearing the worst.

Her posture sagged in relief when Ming Lee shook her head.

"No." she choked out. Ursa thought about what else her friend could be upset about, and her stomach dropped again.

"Ming, are you...?" she started.

"A-am I what?" Ming Lee asked.

When Ursa couldn't say the word, she simply gestured to her friends stomach.

"Am I... am I pregnant?" Ming Lee guessed.

Ursa nodded.

"No, I'm not pregnant!"

"Then, what's the problem?!" Ursa demanded, stung by her friend's tone.

"I did something terrible!" Ming Lee wailed, "I made such a bad decision!" She started crying hard again.

"What happened?!" Ursa demanded again, starting to get exasperated in spite of herself, "_Did_ anything even happen with this Wolf?"

"Something happened, alright." Ming Lee muttered. She stood and began pacing in front of Ursa, wiping at her face as she went.

"So you guys...um... did stuff?" Ursa asked tentatively.

"Uh-huh."

"So, it was bad?" Ursa guessed. She didn't _think_ a less than glorious sexual encounter was something to get this worked up about, but as a virgin, she didn't think her opinion counted much.

"It was probably the most amazing, mind-blowing night of my entire life. I didn't have myself pegged as a screamer, but I _screamed._" Ming Lee replied, still pacing.

_Well, that's not it._ Ursa thought. Confused, she opened her mouth to ask another question, but Ming Lee kept going.

"I've never been with a man so wonderful. He was so sweet and passionate and loving, and it was... it was perfect."

"Then, what's the problem?" Ursa asked, more confused than ever, "It sounds like Wolf has all the qualities any girl would want in—"

"Wolf was Zhang!"

* * *

Sitting in a windowsill, Zhang looked out at the city, but he didn't see it. All he could think about, as usual, was Ming Lee. He thought about the exhilarated look she'd get when she performed and her frank way of dealing with him whenever he spoke to her about her show. It had been a week since she put on a performance of said show or even held a rehearsal. Those were the only excuses he could think of for seeing her, and for the past week, he had been forced to go without her presence. He thought he might go insane. He missed her. He didn't bother telling himself otherwise anymore. He missed Ming Lee, just like he did every time he couldn't be around her, and it was because he loved her. He had been passionately in love with her since he first laid eyes on her two years ago. The beautiful acrobat was everything society demanded he _not _want, but he did anyway. She was perfect. He'd just had no idea how to express those feelings, to her or anyone else.

He thought back to the night he spent with her in Yan Xiu. His intention had been to just spend time with her, without the pressure of having to behave a certain way, as noble to commoner. He had no idea that it would end in her bed, but when it did, he tried any- and everything he could to please her. He remembered the sounds she'd made, every gasp, moan, and sigh. He remembered how proud he'd been that _he _was the one making her feel that good. Most of all, he remembered how content he'd felt when he drifted off to sleep with Ming Lee, _his _Ming Lee, snuggled in his arms.

And then he woke alone. He waited for her, for hours, and she never returned. Now, it had been a week since she'd given a show or held a rehearsal or even called on his sister. He'd wanted that night to be something beautiful, for both of them, and now he was certainthat it was the cause of her avoiding everyone. He felt guilty. He'd deceived her. She probably hated him, and he deserved it. He pressed his forehead into the windowpane and let out a sigh.

It was then he heard a scream.

He was on his feet and running as soon as he registered that it was Ursa who'd screamed and not his mother throwing a tantrum. The scream was one of pure horror, and Zhang would make sure there would be hell to pay if someone was hurting his sister. He made it to the bushes separating the garden from the training grounds and stopped when he heard Ursa's voice.

"WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THAT?!" she was shrieking.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ASKED IF WE DID STUFF!" another voice shrieked back.

Zhang's heart leapt. _Ming Lee._ He peeked around the bush in front of him and saw Ursa sitting on a bench with Ming Lee pacing in front of her. His heart sank when he saw that Ming Lee had clearly been crying.

"You could have said it was my brother _before _you went on about how amazing and mind-blowing it was!"

_She said that?_ he wondered, his chest puffing up with pride.

"It _was_ amazing and mind-blowing, but it should never have happened."

Zhang deflated. _Why not?_

"As disgusting as the thought of you sleeping with my brother is," Ursa said, and Zhang narrowed his eyes at her words, "why shouldn't it have happened? You made it _painfully _obvious that you enjoyed being with him."

"Just how well do you think my show's going to do when people find out I slept with my patron's son? They'll think I've been whoring myself out from the start! Your father will think I'm some horrible temptress who corrupted his child and probably stop supporting me..." _He wouldn't dare, _Zhang thought angrily, "...and I'll lose _everything_! My show, any respect I've earned will be gone like that!" Zhang heard her snap her fingers to illustrate the point. "All I'll be to anyone is a slut!"

He peeked around the bush again and watched Ming Lee drop onto the bench beside his sister.

"What if Zhang already thinks that's all I am?" she asked quietly, tears streaming down her face.

"Never!" Zhang exclaimed, unable to stop himself. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but it was too late.

He was caught.

* * *

Ursa heard Ming Lee choke at the sound of the voice in the bushes and knew she wasn't the only one who recognized it.

"Zhang?" she called out. She _really _hoped they were wrong.

They weren't.

Her brother walked around the bush he'd been behind, his face the picture of mortification.

"Lord Zhang!" Ming Lee exclaimed, straightening and wiping the tears from her cheeks, desperately trying to save what face she could. Ursa wrapped her arms around her reassuringly.

"How much did you hear?" she asked bluntly.

"Enough." he replied, a flush creeping up his neck towards his face.

"And?" Ursa asked.

"And what?"

"Your opinion on the matter, I suppose." she said, gesturing around them.

"I really think Ming Lee and I should talk about this alone..."

"Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of her." Ming Lee said aggressively. She glared at him. If he was going to humiliate and destroy her, she was going to make sure his baby sister was a witness.

"Okay." he said quietly. He took a few steps forward, and Ming Lee's eyes widened in shock when he dropped to his knees in front of her. Zhang was a nobleman. He didn't lower himself to anyone but his sovereign. A glance in Ursa's direction revealed she was just as flabbergasted by her brother's actions.

"There are a lot of things I want to tell you." he said, looking up at Ming Lee. He took a breath. "First is that I am so, _so_ sorry for deceiving you in Yan Xiu. I really hadn't intended for it to end the way it did, and even though you probably don't want to hear this, it was wonderful. I'll treasure that time with you until my dying day."

Ming Lee felt her jaw drop in surprise, and another sob escaped before she could stop it.

"Second," Zhang said, with a determined look, "I don't know if you want to hide what happened between us. I don't, but I will if it would make you happy. I will make sure my father never finds out if you don't want him to. However, if he does, I _promise_ you that you can continue your show. I will demand my inheritance now and fund it myself if I have to."

Ming Lee vaguely heard Ursa gasp next to her and remembered some things she had said about Zhang. His father's approval was his top priority. Defying him had probably never even crossed his mind before. _And he's talking about doing that for me? _Ming Lee felt something like hope welling up inside her.

"Third," Zhang said, "is that I will _never _think of you as anything less than what you are. Perfect. No one ever will if I have anything to say about it. Please don't ever call yourself a slut again."

Ming Lee had never seen that look on Zhang's face before, never seen it on _any _man's face before. She wasn't sure what to call it. All she knew was that, somehow, she was certain that he meant every word he said. _Even the "perfect" part, _she thought, amazed.

Ursa looked back and forth between her friend and her brother. His determined expression had softened into a look so tender it brought tears to her own eyes. She had never seen him look like that before. Ming Lee looked like she was either going to laugh, cry, or faint. For a time, everyone was silent. By the way Ming Lee and Zhang looked at each other, Ursa was sure they'd forgotten she was there.

Eventually, Ming Lee broke the silence.

"Anything else?" she asked in what was supposed have been her wry way. Instead it was watery, like she was about to start crying again.

"I love you." Zhang said quietly.

Ursa jumped when Ming Lee whirled to look at her. She could see the question in her friend's eyes, and she smiled.

"He can't lie to save his life." she confirmed, feeling tears stream down her own face.

Ming Lee was in Zhang's arms before she could finish her sentence, sobbing into his shoulder. He hugged her close and nuzzled her neck, shushing and whispering words of comfort in her ear.

Ursa felt like she was about to burst; she was so happy. She knew her brother meant every word he said, and she was thrilled for Ming Lee, for both of them. Still crying, she stood and walked away, giving them the privacy they should have had in the first place.

* * *

"I am sorry, your Highness, but my daughter is still technically underage. I do not believe it is proper for you to be seeing her." the skinny woman in front of him said coldly.

Prince Ozai took a deep breath to calm his rising temper. He thought about blowing smoke of his nostrils as he did it to intimidate her, but he decided against it.

"I have been calling on your daughter for two years, Lady Yu." he said, his voice a persuasive purr, "With all due respect, her age did not seem to be an issue until very recently." _This is the fourth time this week you've stopped me from seeing her, you old wolf-bat! _he fumed inwardly.

"You two were not caught in a compromising position until very recently, Prince Ozai."

"We were sparring." he replied stiffly. He narrowed his eyes at the woman. He remembered when he nearly kissed Ursa, during his last visit almost two months before. He also remembered that, despite her reproachful words, Ursa's mother had been quietly thrilled at the development. A prince of the Fire Nation was clearly attracted to her daughter. What had changed?

"Surely, you can't fault a mother for being protective of her only daughter."

"Of course not." Ozai said, his tone calm even though he was gritting his teeth.

"I am thankful for your understanding." she said, seemingly oblivious to his ire. She took a sip of her tea. "Will you be coming to the ball commemorating her seventeenth birthday?"

"Of course."

"So, your interest in my daughter has not begun to fade?"

"No." Ozai said rather slowly, confusion diluting his irritation.

"I do not mean to pry, but she was understandably upset when you didn't call on her over Fire Days last week."

Ozai fought back the urge to grin like a fool. So _that_ was what the foolish old woman was angry about! She assumed she'd been snubbed and was now dangling Ursa just out of his reach like a bargaining chip. He allowed himself to smile at the irritating woman.

"I would have called on her, but my brother, Crown Prince Iroh, returned from his most recent tour of duty in the Earth Kingdom the first day of the Fire Days festival. Naturally, it was a priority of the royal family to make sure that he properly welcomed back home." He was pleased to see that Lady Yu suddenly looked thunderstruck.

"Oh. Of course, Prince Ozai." she said quickly, "It's wonderful that the Crown Prince has returned."

"I am glad you are so understanding, Lady Yu." he replied. He thought about asking to see Ursa, but he didn't want to appear _too _eager. Now that the woman's irritation was assuaged, she'd probably offer Ursa to him anyway.

She didn't, and for a time, neither of them spoke. Ozai's impatience grew with each passing second. What was this woman's problem?! Why couldn't he see Ursa? He watched the woman in front of him, sipping her tea as though he was no longer in the room with her. Was _he _expected to ask? He was about to open his mouth to say something scathing, but Lady Yu spoke first.

"Does this conclude your business in my home, Prince Ozai?"

Ozai felt the blood rush to his face, and he was certain that he was certain that it was now the same color as the dark red draperies in the over decorated parlor. _Did Ursa come in?! _hewanted to yell angrily, _I must have missed it!_ He took a deep breath, and he felt his enraged flush lessen a bit.

"I was expecting to see Lady Ursa before I left." he said stiffly.

"I am sorry, your Highness, but I believe I already told you that I do not think it is appropriate for my underage daughter to be seeing you." she said, and Ozai thought he heard her place a slight emphasis on the word "underage."

"Please accept my apologies." she added before he could retort, "You must know that this has nothing to do with you. My daughter made some regrettable decisions recently. They have led me to question her maturity, and she has been forbidden from receiving guests as part of her punishment."

Taken aback, Ozai stared at the woman.

"Regrettable decisions?" he echoed.

"Typical teenage rebellion." Lady Yu said dismissively, and Ozai quirked a brow at that. "Nothing to be concerned about."

"Of course." Ozai leaned back in his chair, thinking.

There were several things he liked about Ursa. She was very obviously beautiful, the epitome of Fire Nation nobility. She didn't prattle on about nothing like the rest of the idiotic young noblewomen he'd been forced to deal with on more than one occasion. She wasn't overly dramatic like other women. She was clearly intelligent. She was a skilled fighter, not as good as him, but still good enough to make a decent sparring partner. He also liked that she was easy to read. Her every emotion was clear on her face. It was dangerous, having a face so open and honest in their world of court intrigue, but it fascinated him nonetheless. The only complaint he would have had about her was that she was a bit of a goody-goody type in his opinion. He didn't think there was a high strung or crazy bone in her body. _And now she's being punished for "teenage rebellion." _he thought. He smirked slightly. _Perhaps I judged her too quickly. _He stood up.

"As usual, it was a pleasure, Lady Yu." he lied effortlessly, "I will see you at Lady Ursa's ball. Thank you for the tea."

"It was an honor to entertain a prince of the Fire Nation." she said, standing up as well. She called a servant, and the woman led Ozai to the door. As soon as the door closed, Ozai walked around to the side of the house. He definitely had to see Ursa now and find out what her "regrettable decisions" were.

At the back of the house, Ozai nimbly hopped a wrought iron fence and landed in a garden, behind a small moon peach tree. He looked around. The garden was small, compared to any of the multitude of gardens that surrounded the palace, with a fountain in the center, and it was surrounded by an ivy-coated wrought iron fence on two sides. Of the remaining two boundaries around the garden, one was the house itself, and the other was a wall of bushes. He looked around the tree he was behind and almost jumped when he heard a sound. It sounded like a contented sigh, female, and it was immediately followed by a male voice. Ozai narrowed his eyes. Was that Ursa? Who was with her?

He looked for the source of the sounds, and when he didn't see anything, he ventured closer, keeping himself hidden by a rose bush. He was surprised to see Yu Zhang sitting on the ground in front of the fountain. He was even more surprised to see the Yu family's acrobat, the one who'd managed to impress even his father two years ago, curled comfortably against him. _Interesting, _he thought, but they weren't the ones he was looking for. He went back to the tree and continued surveying the garden. No Ursa. Strange. He knew she rather enjoyed being outside. He looked at the wall of bushes on the left side of the garden and narrowed his eyes again. Remembering their spar, Ozai knew that there was a wall of bushes on the right side of their training grounds. He moved as quickly as he could without disturbing the bizarre new couple and jumped over the bushes, barely causing them to rustle.

The rustle was enough. He barely got his feet flat on the ground, and then he was suddenly flat on his back with a boot on his chest. He looked up, and he almost smiled at the sight of Ursa standing over him, her bronze eyes cool and calculating. He watched them light up with recognition, and the boot was removed.

"I am so sorry, Prince Ozai." she said formally, "I thought you were an intruder."

He quirked a brow at her and sat up. She offered him her hand. He didn't need it, but he enjoyed touching her, so he allowed her to help him up.

"Why so formal all of a sudden?" he asked, smiling.

She shrugged. His smile turned into a smirk. "Is it because _someone _happens to be in trouble?" The smirk turned into a grin when he saw her eyes go wide and her mouth form a surprised "O." As quickly as the expression appeared, it was gone, and Ursa averted her eyes, blood blossoming in her cheeks.

"What have you heard?" she asked.

"Nothing much." he said, walking slowly around her, hands behind his back, "Just that you made some 'regrettable decisions.'" He looked behind him, pleased at her embarrassed flush. "I must say, I didn't know you had it in you."

She looked at him now.

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled. He walked behind her.

"You just always struck me as a bit of a good girl, Lady Ursa." he replied, his mouth close to her ear. He was pleased to see her shudder delicately.

"And just what does that mean?" she asked, her voice apparently unaffected by his proximity. In fact, she sounded somewhat irritated. _Good, _Ozai thought. He enjoyed challenges as much as the next man.

"There's nothing wrong with being a good girl." he said innocently, walking around her again, "You just have a problem with taking risks is all." She stiffened, and he continued. "I imagine life can get dull every now and then for you, but, like I said, there is really nothing wrong with it."

"So, you're just Prince Bad Boy then, huh?" she asked, apparently unimpressed with his teasing.

"Usually." He stopped in front of her, his face close to hers, "However, it seems our roles were reversed at some point. Sweet, little Ursa is the one being punished." As he spoke, his face moved closer and closer to hers, but when their lips were about an inch apart, Ursa sidestepped him.

"Interesting how life works sometimes, isn't it?" she asked conversationally.

"Indeed." He looked Ursa up and down. Her tone indicated that she was unaffected by his teasing, but her body told a different story. Her eyes were darker than usual, there was a delicate flush to her cheeks, and she appeared to be panting slightly. He wanted to make the shy noblewoman come even more undone, but curiosity got the better of his desire to play his game. "What did you do?" he finally asked. She looked up at him, smiling slightly.

"You haven't heard?" she said, her voice full of mock surprise, "My mother shook the walls when she yelled at me about it."

Now, Ozai was definitely intrigued.

"All she said that you made 'regrettable decisions' and that it was just some 'teenage rebellion'."

She cocked her head at him. "You mean you actually did talk to my mother?"

"I generally have to get past her before I call on you."

For a second, she just looked at him, and then she shrugged.

"Walk with me, and I will tell you my tale." she said cryptically, gesturing around the training grounds. Ozai smirked at her dry humor and walked beside her.

Almost an hour later, the young couple was on what was perhaps their fiftieth lap around the training grounds, and Ursa was recounting the last part of her story: Zhang's apparent interest in the acrobat Ming Lee and her desire for their new relationship to work out.

When Ursa stopped talking, Ozai was silent for a moment. Ursa, the shy young noblewoman he met at the circus, snuck out of her house, had her clothes ripped off by a half-naked acrobat (he was going to enjoy _that _particular mental image for a long time), and spent pretty much the entire night in the roughest part of town before coming home at dawn in her underwear smelling of firewhiskey. Compared to some other stuff he'd heard nobles do, it wasn't a huge deal, but for Ursa, it was pretty impressive.

"I'm sorry I missed it all." he finally said truthfully.

"It's okay." Ursa said, "As a prince of the Fire Nation, you probably had a lot of other parties to go to."

"Not really." Ozai muttered, and Ursa looked up at him, surprised.

"What?"

"My brother returned home that morning, and my mother in particular insisted on having a 'nice family dinner'" He used air quotes. "to welcome him home."

"And you sound just thrilled about it." she teased gently.

"Oh, of course." he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He smiled a little at her laugh.

"So, you had other plans then?" she asked, cocking her head at him. Ozai thought about it. Truthfully, he'd wanted to go to the Yu estate for their Fire Days celebration. He'd wanted to be with her. However, something told him not to say it out loud. It felt like giving something up.

"Possibly." he replied neutrally.

"With me?" she asked. There was a strange look in her eye.

"Possibly."

She looked irritated and kind of hurt, and Ozai was surprised to realize he regretted his answers. He wasn't even completely sure what he did. She walked a step in front of him, and he narrowed his eyes at her back. Girls were confusing. _No, _he reminded himself, _Ursa is the only confusing one._

"Were you upset that I didn't come to your family's party?" he asked before he thought about it. He mentally slapped himself. She looked over her shoulder, and he was struck by how pretty she was. Suddenly, he very much wanted to know her answer. She considered her answer, and then shrugged.

"Possibly." she replied. Surely, it wasn't that annoying when he said it? He quickly walked around so that he was in front of her.

"Did you want to be with me?" he asked bluntly. He no longer had the patience to tease it out of her.

"Does it matter?" She looked up at him, chin high, defiant. Confusion, irritation, and admiration?... washed over him in equal measures. He thought about her question. The truth would also feel like giving ground. Flirtation, like pretty much anything else, could be likened to military strategy. The goal was conquest, nothing more. And he was determined to be the one to win.

"Apparently not." she said coldly, taking a step back. She turned to walk away. What?! Where was she going? _Do something! _his mind demanded.

"Did you know that princes of the Fire Nation are taught never to show weakness?" he asked. As soon as the words were out, he wanted to clap a hand over his mouth. Why did he speak without thinking around this woman?

She turned back around, one eyebrow raised.

"Admitting you want to be with me is a weakness?" she asked, and Ozai nearly winced. _Always straight-forward, this one._ He looked down.

"Yes." he said quietly.

"Say it."

"What?" he asked, looking up. She was still standing a couple of steps away from him, but Ozai could see that she had that strange look in her eye again.

"Say you want to be with me." she clarified. He narrowed his eyes at her. Did she miss what he just said?

"I don't show weakness." he said slowly.

A blade was out and at his throat before he even registered that she moved. He looked down at it and back up at her, eyes wide. Had she gone completely insane?

"Then don't." she said coolly, "Spar with me."

He just stared at her, still wondering about her sanity. What happened to their original conversation?

As if reading his mind, she spoke again. "We appear to have reached an impasse, Ozai. We each want an answer the other isn't willing to give. Neither wants to give the other ground."

Ozai almost twitched under her blade. Had he been thinking out loud earlier? Oblivious to his shock, Ursa continued.

"Neither of us has enough patience to talk about this at the moment, so I've decided to speak a language we both seem to like better." The blade moved up slightly, almost tapping his chin. "Spar with me. If I win, you solve our little conundrum and admit you want to be with me."

Ozai had never seen Ursa like this before. What happened to the shy teenager he enjoyed teasing? Where had this surprisingly eloquent and cocky minx come from? The personality change was unnerving. It was also intriguing. Ozai's lips quirked into his usual smirk. "And if I win?" he teased, rising to her challenge.

She shrugged again. "Whatever you want." she said simply.

"Whatever I want?"

Her eyebrows arched. "Within reason." she amended.

"Fair enough." he said with a shrug.

"Spar with me." she repeated, that strange gleam still in her eyes. Smirking, Ozai lifted his palm, and a small flame appeared.

"Surely your mother taught you not to play with fire." he teased.

"Surely yours taught you not play with knives." She grazed the blade over his neck. A smirk of her own ghosted over her lips. "Look at us now."

That did it. Even though neither one was dressed for it, they were forbidden from seeing each other, and other reasons not to, Ozai formed a pair of fire daggers, and the spar began.

For thirty minutes, they continued to spar, the only sounds made between them being the _whoosh! _of his firebending, and the metallic symphony of her swordsmanship. It was rough, much rougher than Ozai expected, and, as much as it rankled him to admit it, he suspected that she went easy on him the last time they sparred. She wasn't holding back now. She was quicksilver fast with her blades, and there was a surprising amount of strength behind her blows. More than once, she nearly knocked him down. He thought about setting her on fire again but decided against it. Something in him said that this time it would end better if he played fair.

Ducking one of her swords, he rushed her and grabbed one of her wrists. The other sword came at him, but he dodged and moved quickly behind her, taking the wrist he'd already caught with him and pinning it behind her back. Like a dancer, she whirled away from him and moved to bring down her other sword. He caught the wrist above that sword as well. He brought them both up and twisted until she dropped her weapons.

"I win." he nearly growled, very pleased with himself. He was surprised when she smirked at him again. Before he could say anything, she jumped up, and it looked like she was about to wrap her legs around his waist. Instead, her heels connected hard with the backs of his knees, and he fell backward, Ursa landing heavily on top of him. Before he could get his bearings, she broke his hold on her and gripped his wrists.

"It appears you spoke too soon." she said cheekily. Ozai shifted underneath her, testing how firmly she had a hold of him. The grip she had on his wrists was well placed, and she was positioned on him in a way that kept him down. She won.

"Say it." she repeated her earlier demand.

"Ursa..." he said warningly.

"I won." she interrupted, "Say it."

"Fine!" he growled. He looked away from her. "I want to be with you." Even though it came out as a mumble, he was surprised to find that the words came much easier than he expected.

"What was that?" Ursa taunted, leaning forward. Ozai bit back a smirk. She was reveling in her victory, letting it distract her. He looked up at her again and saw her face was just a few inches above his. He reared up, closing the distance between them, and pressed his mouth to hers. She let out a surprised squeak, and Ozai felt her hold on his wrists loosen. He grabbed her by the waist and rolled, reversing their positions. He broke the kiss and looked down at her, grinning.

"Not fair." she gasped. Her face was flushed, her chest was heaving, and her lips were already slightly swollen from his kiss. He'd never seen her look more lovely. He leaned in so that his lips were maybe an inch from hers.

"Never expect an enemy to play fair." he chided, and then he kissed her again. If she wanted to know how he felt about her, he was going to show her. He poured everything he had into that kiss; two years worth of interest, amusement, frustration, and grudging admiration. That strange look in her eye, her surprising spirit, their spar, his attraction, his lust; he gave it all to her.

He was thrilled when she gave it right back. It was obvious that she was inexperienced, and that his intensity occasionally made her nervous, but she appeared to be just as determined as he was. And as wanting. Her arms linked around his neck, and he grinned against her mouth when he felt her legs wrap themselves around his waist. Her response was to nip his lower lip, and he let out a small groan. He put his hands at the small of her back and pulled her as close to him as possible. Her legs tightened around his waist, and he felt her playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

After a time that felt, paradoxically, like an instant and an eternity, they broke apart, gasping for breath, foreheads pressed together. He opened his eyes, and his breath caught in his throat. Her lips were red and swollen, her eyes were dark, heavy-lidded, and unfocused, and her hair was splayed on the ground around her head. She was gorgeous. Suddenly overwhelmed by desire for her, he moved to devour her neck, reveling in the sweet mewling sounds and surprised cries he was able to wrench from her. He gasped when he felt her bite his earlobe, and he sucked hard on a spot just above her collarbone to interrupt her triumphant laugh.

"Ursa?" he heard someone call, but it didn't register. He moved back to her lips, nipping and pecking them playfully, so she'd let him in. She did, and he let out another small groan as their tongues began to duel again.

"Ursa?" someone called again, and suddenly the gravity of their situation sunk in. They could be discovered! If that horrendous Yu woman kept him from her for what happened last time, she'd probably move Ursa to the damn colonies for this! He broke away from her with a gasp, and she let out a disappointed whine. The top layer of her robes was open (when had that happened?), and he could tell that his topknot had been taken down. They practically screamed "illicit rendezvous."

"Someone's coming!" he explained breathlessly. Her eyes went wide, and she sat up. They quickly untangled themselves and stood up. They fixed their appearances to the best of their abilities, but Ozai was certain they both positively oozed unfulfilled desire.

"I have to go!" he said quickly, pressing a kiss to her lips. She grabbed the collar of his robes and deepened it. He let out a growl and pulled her close to him again before he remembered the situation and broke away. "I really have to go!"

"I'll see you in a week." she said, giving him a quick kiss. She let go of his robes. "Go!"

With that, he jumped over the bushes between the training grounds and the garden and over the fence again.

* * *

And that was chapter six, my friends. It's a _lot_ longer than my past chapters, but there were no good cut off points.

If anyone thought that Ursa seemed weirdly intense during her interaction with Ozai, I rationalize it like this: She just saw a film worthy romantic moment with her best friend and brother, and she wanted that, or at least something similar, with Ozai. They've known each other for two years. He's been courting her. It's established that they find each other attractive. Ursa is just like: "It's time."

Wow. It seems much more simplistic when it's written down like that than it did in my head. Oh well.

Thanks again for the review, ArrayePL. I never thought of Wolf possibly being Ozai. Definitely an interesting concept. One more spoiler outburst though...

Please review! Until next time, everyone.


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